Dragon Ball: A New Beginning
by The King of Soda
Summary: What would happen if Bulma and Goku started off with one less Dragon Ball? And who is the person who has the third ball? The sister story to Dragon Ball: Altered Fates. Rating may change due to mature themes.
1. A New Companion

Dragon Ball: A New Beginning

A/N: This is a what-if AU that takes place if Goku and Bulma only started out with two Dragon Balls. Who has the third Dragon Ball? And what will it mean for the future of the _Dragon Ball Z_ that we all know and love? There's only one way to find out: Read and review!

CHAPTER 1: A New Companion

Goku and Bulma raced across the countryside, Bulma on her motorbike and Goku on his Flying Nimbus.

"Hey, Bulma! Are we getting there?" Goku called from the Nimbus.

Bulma reached in her pocket and pulled out the Dragon Radar.

"Not too far now!" Bulma reported. "We've still got a couple of miles, but at this rate, we should be there before sunset."

_Once we've got the next Dragon Ball_,_ I'll be one step closer to fulfilling my wish!_ Bulma thought gleefully. _I'm so excited!_

Goku sped closer on the Nimbus and noticed the faraway expression on Bulma's face.

"Uh, are you okay, Bulma?" the young warrior inquired innocently.

Bulma returned to her senses and put on a tough, unconcerned face. "What's it to you, huh?"

"Well, you kind of zoned out there for a minute," Goku said. "I was just wondering what you were thinking about."

"That's none of your business!" Bulma snapped. "Now let's just hurry up and get the next Dragon Ball!"

"All right, all right, you don't have to yell at me, you know," Goku whined, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked up with a mischievous smile. "Okay, Nimbus, faster! The sooner we get there, the better!"

And the Nimbus increased its sped, traveling far faster than Bulma's bike could move.

"Hey, what about me?!" Bulma yelled as the tiny boy grew faint and distant on the Flying Nimbus. "You can't just leave me here, you know! Hey, are you listening to me?! Get back here right now! I swear, I've had it with you, kid!"

A couple miles away, near a tiny orphanage, a girl with reddish-pink hair, ruby eyes, and cat-ear horns was lying in the grass.

_I hate it here_, she thought with barely concealed tears. _I've never been more miserable in my entire life. I just wish someone would hold me close now. But there is no one. No one wants to be around me..._

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" a voice sneered.

The girl sat up quickly and found three older boys standing near her.

_What do they want with me now?_ Kaede thought with some dread.

"Look, guys," Tomoo drawled. "We have an ugly ox all on its own with no teachers around. What do you think we should do about it?"

"I don't know, Tomoo," Azukio said mock thoughtfully. "I say we go hunting."

They laughed and moved in to surround her. Kaede leaped to her feet but could see no way out.

"I think it knows what we're doing," Tasuma said. "Oh dear. It's way smarter than we thought."

"Be careful!" Tomoo warned. "It could ram you with those horns!"

They all laughed cruelly, and Kaede blinked once, but showed no other sign of emotion.

"Why do you keep bothering me?" Kaede asked in a dull monotone. "What have I ever done to you?"

"'What have you done?'" Tomoo repeated. "The ox wants to know what it's done!"

They burst into laughter again, but Kaede still showed no emotion.

"It's nothing you've done," Azukio said. "It's the fact that you exist, if you know what I mean."

"Look at you!" Tasuma laughed. "With those red eyes and horns! You're a regular devil girl!"

"Damn straight, Tasuma!" Tomoo hollered.

"The teachers took you in out of pity, but they knew deep down there was something wrong with you," Tasuma said.

To prove his point, Tasuma reached out with his hands and shoved Kaede to the ground.

Kaede's eyes quivered dangerously, but she refused to cry.

"Oops," Tasuma said mockingly, a big smirk on his face.

"Clumsy ox," Tomoo sneered. "Why don't you cry? Normal girls would cry because this hurts them."

"Why kind of freak doesn't cry?" Tasuma said.

"Even as a baby, you never cried," Azukio said. "Every human being cries. You're not human."

"You're nothing more than an animal," Tomoo said. "A monster."

_If anyone is a monster around here_,_ it's them!_ Kaede thought desperately, covering her head up with her hands as they all laughed mockingly. _I hate them! When will they stop? I just wish somebody would help me!_

"STOP IT!" a new voice cried.

Kaede blinked in surprise, uncovering her head and looking up.

Goku stood there. His eyes were narrowed together in a fierce scowl and a determined look was etched across his features.

"Who the hell are you?" Tomoo demanded.

"My name is Goku," the strange boy said. "Leave that kid alone."

"Who do you think you are?" Azukio snarled. "You can't tell us what to do!"

"Shoo. Shoo, kid," Tasuma said. "Go bother someone else before we get mad."

Goku assumed a battle stance.

"If you think you're so tough, then let's see what you can do," he said tightly.

Kaede was staring at Goku closely, her head tilted to the side.

_I can't believe it_, Kaede thought. _Does... does this boy actually _care_ about me?_

And then, she noticed Goku's tail and she gasped out loud.

"T-Tail..." she whispered.

"What?" Tomoo said.

"Speak up, ox!" Azukio yelled.

Kaede ignored them, focusing on the boy's tail.

_Tail! He's got a tail!_ Kaede thought. _Who is this boy? Why does he have a tail? Is he different... like me?_

"Hey, guys, look at that," Tasuma said in a quivering voice. "Is that... is that what I think it is?"

"What?" Tomoo said, and he too caught a glimpse of Goku's tail.

"Oh my God!" Azukio laughed. "Little monkey boy has a tail. This is priceless!"

"No wonder he cares for a dumb ox," Tomoo said. "He's just a stupid animal like her."

"What are you gonna do, monkey?" Tasuma said. "Are you gonna throw bananas at us?"

They laughed again, and Kaede's face shook with suppressed emotion.

Goku dropped the fighting stance and stood up straight.

"Um, bananas?" Goku said confusedly. "Wait, do you have bananas hidden around here somewhere? I'm kind of hungry."

"Look, he's even more clueless than ox here!" Tomoo said.

"Apparently all monkey can do is think with his stomach," Tasuma taunted.

"What else can you expect from a dumb animal?" Azukio sneered.

Kaede looked back at them with an icy expression on her face, the first time she showed any emotion.

"Please, leave him alone," Kaede said softly. "Please stop picking on him."

Azukio kicked her in the face, and Kaede let out an involuntary yelp as she hit the ground hard from the blow.

"Quiet, ox," Azukio said. "No one asked you what you were thinking."

Goku growled angrily, raising his fists threateningly.

"Alright, that's it!" Goku declared. "I don't care if you have bananas or not, you three are going down!"

With a strong uppercut, he sent Tomoo flying, delivered a kick to Azukio, and then slammed his open palm into Tasuma, sending him flying backward into a tree with a visible red welt in the shape of a hand on his face.

Kaede watched all this in amazement.

_He... he just beat up three kids all on his own_, she thought in amazement. _How did he do that?_

The bullies climbed to their feet. They looked at Goku, and a flash of fear lit up their faces.

"That's impossible..." Tomoo said timidly.

"I couldn't even see him move!" Tasuma said, the red welt still visible on his face.

"What are we going to do now, you guys?" Azukio said fearfully.

"Are you gonna stop picking on this kid?" Goku asked. "Or do I have to beat you up some more?"

The bullies cringed back, waving their hands in front of them.

"No, no, we get the message loud and clear, Mr. Monkey," Tomoo said.

"No more picking on ox — I mean the girl," Azukio amended hastily.

"I hope you learned your lesson," Goku said.

The bullies nodded vigorously, and then, in unison, turned around and sped back into the building.

Goku turned to face Kaede and grinned goofily.

"Hi there!" he said cheerfully. "I'm Goku! What's your name?"

Kaede blinked. "My name? Uh, who I am?"

Goku nodded eagerly, eyes opening again. "Uh-huh!"

Kaede blushed and hung her head embarrassedly.

"Uh, my name is Kaede," she said.

Goku clutched at his stomach, giggling. "That's an interesting name! It's a lot better than Bulma!"

Kaede looked at Goku, as though trying to figure him out. His tail was wagging, and Kaede couldn't help but stare at it.

_He must get picked on a lot for having a tail_, Kaede thought. _But it's really cute..._

Goku noticed her staring at him. He blinked.

"Uh, why are you staring at my tail?" he asked.

Kaede started and drew back shyly.

"No reason," she said quickly. "No reason at all!"

"Hm, okay," Goku said, accepting that.

He walked closer and held out his hand to her. Kaede blinked, then took his hand and let him help her to her feet.

Kaede gave Goku a soft look, one he didn't totally understand.

"Hm?" he said.

_Why's she looking at me like that?_ Goku wondered.

He tried to pry his hand free, but Kaede clung to it tightly, and only after much wiggling did Kaede reluctantly let him go.

She looked up and smiled tentatively.

"You said your name was Goku, right?" she said shyly.

"That's right!" Goku said happily, casually patting the front of her skirt.

Kaede jerked back, looking shocked, falling flat to her butt on the ground.

_Who _is_ this boy?_ Kaede thought, her pale face flushed. _Does he... does he wish to get intimate with me? No one's ever wanted to do that..._

"You _are_ a girl!" Goku said triumphantly. "I thought you were!"

"Uh, yes," Kaede said, blushing very deeply, "but you could have just asked me, you know."

"Huh?" Goku said.

Before she could say any more, there was a loud roar and Bulma's motorbike pulled into view.

Goku looked back and smiled.

"Bulma!" he said happily.

The blue-haired girl jumped down from the bike and stalked over angrily.

"Goku, you idiot!" she berated him. "What were you thinking, leaving me all alone in the woods?! I could have died or gotten lost!"

As the older girl began yelling, Kaede took off and hid behind Goku.

Goku scratched his head with his tail.

"Uh, but Bulma, you said there was a Dragon Ball ahead," Goku reminded her. "Didn't you want me to go and get it?"

"Of course I did!" Bulma yelled. "But what's the use if I'm dead? I can't just wander all by myself while trying to babysit you!

"Well, gosh, Bulma, I'm sorry," Goku apologized. "I didn't mean to upset you.

Bulma growled and was about to retort when she noticed Kaede hiding behind Goku.

"Hey, Goku, who's the kid?" Bulma asked him.

"Oh!" Goku said, looking behind him. "This is Kaede! Say hi, Kaede!"

Kaede inched forward shyly and glanced upward hesitantly.

"Er, um, hi, Bulma," Kaede whispered softly.

"Well, it's nice to..." Bulma began.

However, she took notice of the growing protrusions poking out of her head and she gasped.

"Oh!" Bulma said. "Oh, my God! You have horns on your head!"

"Huh? You do?!" Goku said excitedly. "Really?! Is that true, Kaede?!"

Kaede backed up fearfully.

"I... I..." she said, at a complete loss for words.

"Let me see!" Goku exclaimed. "Let me see!"

Kaede reached up and covered her horns with her hands.

"I-I don't think you'll like them, Goku..." she said sadly.

"Aw, come on!" Goku said innocently. "Don't be so scared! I won't laugh at them or anything!"

And Goku reached forward and pulled down her arms.

"Oh, wow!" Goku said. "It's true!"

Kaede flinched and looked down, feeling thoroughly miserable.

_What do I do now?_ she thought. _He's going to hate me now that he's discovered my horns! Oh_,_ I hate them! I hate them so much!_

She flinched when she felt rough hands grabbing at them.

"Let go!" she cried. "Please let go!"

"Wow, I never noticed them before!" Goku said breathlessly. "They look so cool!"

Kaede stopped cold, Goku's words piercing through her heart. Surprised, she looked up.

"Wait..." she breathed, feeling shocked. "_What?_"

"Your horns are so cute!" Goku chirped happily. "More girls should have horns like you!"

Kaede relaxed and felt a blush creep over her face, enjoying the sensation of Goku touching her.

"Really?" she said slowly. "Do... do you really mean that?"

"Well, of course I do, silly!" Goku said. "If Bulma had horns like you, she'd be a lot prettier."

Bulma ran up and bopped him on the head.

"Ow!" Goku complained, rubbing his abused skull. "What was that for?!"

"I'M PRETTY TOO, YOU MORON!" Bulma yelled angrily.

Kaede slinked down behind Goku and hid behind him as Bulma yelled.

"Well, you don't have to hit me!" Goku whined. "Sheesh!"

"YOU..." Bulma began, but she noticed how scared Kaede looked behind Goku, and she sighed. "Never mind, just forget it."

Just then, a teacher came running out of the entrance with the three bullies trailing after her.

"What's going on out here...?" she said.

Then she spotted Kaede, hiding behind Goku, and she sighed in exasperation.

"Oh. I should known you were involved, Kaede," she said. "And here I thought Tomoo and his friends were carrying tales again."

Goku looked behind at Kaede.

"Kaede, who is that?" Goku asked the horned girl.

Kaede's eyes were downcast and Goku could see pain buried deep in them.

"This is Miss Milan, one of the teachers here," Kaede said.

Tomoo reached out from behind the teacher, pointing at Goku.

"There!" he cried. "He's the one who beat us up, Miss Milan!"

"So, you must be friends with that mean boy then," Goku said.

He frowned and stepped in between the teacher and Kaede, glaring at Tomoo.

"Now, now, fighting is prohibited here, as you well know," Miss Milan intoned severely. "What do you have to say for yourself, Kaede?"

Kaede looked down as she fought tears inside.

_Now she's humiliating me in front of Goku!_ she thought angrily. _Why can't they just leave me alone?_

Goku noticed how upset she looked and growled.

"Hey, stop it!" he yelled. "Kaede hasn't done anything wrong! Besides, those mean boys were hurting her!"

"There's never been any proof," Miss Milan said. "Kaede herself is a well known troublemaker. We can't take her word for it."

"Hey, shut up!" Bulma cut in. "What gives you the right to talk to her that way?"

"Yeah! I saw them!" Goku said. "I had to do something! Why didn't you do anything? Aren't you supposed to be looking out for her?"

"Well, she's a delinquent," Miss Milan said. "Sometimes delinquents need correctional punishment. You seem to be a troublemaker yourself too. Clear off of these premises, or I will be forced to call the police."

"Uh, police?" Goku repeated. "What's that? Can you eat it?"

Miss Milan and Bulma fell over.

"No, you idiot!" Bulma shouted. "The police! If they call them, they'll try to lock us up!"

Goku looked back at Miss Milan, smirking slightly.

"Ha!" he said. "That makes you a bad guy!"

With a long, drawn-out cry, he flew at Miss Milan and punched her into a tree. She fell down the trunk and didn't get back up.

"He knocked out Milan!" Tomoo said.

"Run!" Azukio agreed.

The bullies scattered, running off in three directions.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU, GOKU?!" Bulma screamed. "You can't go around doing that to people!"

"But, she was threatening us, Bulma!" Goku protested. "And she tried to hurt Kaede too!"

Bulma looked ready to hit Goku for a few seconds, but then she calmed down.

"Oh never mind!" she sighed. "Just get the Dragon Ball and then we're out of here!"

"But I don't even know where it is!" Goku whined.

"Oh, yeah," Bulma said. "Well, let me just check my radar here..."

But before she could pull it out, Kaede piped up again.

"Excuse me, but... why are the two of you here?" she asked them.

"Huh?" Goku said. "What do you mean?"

"Why are you here?" Kaede repeated, her eyes growing hopeful.

_Are they here to take me away from this place?_ she thought longingly. _I've waited so long for someone to rescue me... is this really true?_

"We're here for the Dragon Ball!" Goku informed her.

"Oh, I see," Kaede said, feeling her hopes being crushed in front of her.

_So they're not here to rescue me_, she thought. _Typical. Nobody wants to help me, nobody cares for a freak._

"Do you mean the orange ball with the five stars on it?" she asked in a dull monotone.

"What?!" Goku exclaimed. "You mean you actually know where it is?!"

Kaede nodded, a little surprised at Goku's reaction.

"I-It's the only nice thing I've ever gotten..." Kaede told him.

As she spoke, her mind flashed back to the only teacher in the whole orphanage to treat her as a human being.

_"I know things are tough for you right now_,_ Kaede_,_ but they'll get better_,_" Asia said kindly._

_"Why are you leaving?" Kaede asked sadly as the teacher tucked her in. "Can't you just take me with you?"_

_"I don't have the money to care for you right now_,_ sweetie_,_" Asia explained. "But don't worry. Someday_,_ things will improve for you_,_ and when they do_,_ well_,_ I can't promise that I'll be there for you_,_ but I do promise to do whatever I can to help you out."_

_"Thank you_,_ Miss Asia_,_" Kaede said quietly. "I'll remember you always."_

_"Here_,_ Kaede_,_" Asia said_,_ reaching into her pocket and pulling out an orange ball with five stars on it._

_"What is it?" Kaede said_,_ intrigued by the strange object._

_"I really don't know that_,_ but it's very pretty_,_ wouldn't you say?" Asia said._

_"It's... it's beautiful_,_" Kaede breathed_,_ taking the shiny orb in her palms and cupping it like a treasured jewel._

_"I'm glad you think that_,_ because I'm giving it to you_,_" Asia said with a happy smile._

_"Really?" Kaede said. "You're giving this to me?"_

_"Hm-hmm_,_" Asia said. "Whenever you look at it_,_ be happy_,_ and think of me."_

"Super!" Bulma squealed. "This is so cool. We already have three Dragon Balls, and we're well on our to collecting all seven!"

"Wait, you can't have it!" Kaede protested. "I don't care how nice you are to me. It's mine and no one else can have it."

"Huh?" Bulma said, looking absolutely dejected. "But... but why?"

"I..." Kaede glanced down, unable to face them in the eye.

"Why, Kaede?" Goku said. "We need that Dragon Ball!" A thought occurred to him. "Does it have some special meaning for you?"

Kaede looked back up, blinking in surprise.

"My Dragon Ball means a lot to me," Goku elaborated. "It was a present from my grandpa and I didn't want to part with it, so Bulma agreed to let me come with her and hunt Dragon Balls together."

"But, how can you have a treasure like mine?" Kaede inquired.

"Hate to break this to you, kid, but your treasure is not a one-of-a-kind original," Bulma said.

She reached in her bag and pulled out the two-star Dragon Ball.

"What?" Kaede said softly, blinking twice. "You mean you have one too?"

"Yes, and I do too!" Goku exclaimed, reaching in his hip bag and pulling out the four-star ball.

"Wow..." Kaede breathed, before hard reality hit her again and she made up her mind. "They're really nice, and you must have gone to a lot of effort to catch them, but I can't give you my ball. I just _can't_. It's too precious to me."

"Can you tell us why?" Bulma asked.

"Oh, please, Kaede," Goku begged. "Please. If we're friends, then please tell us, and we'll understand."

"F-Friends?" Kaede repeated confusedly.

"Yeah, we're friends now, aren't we?" Goku said. "I really like you a lot, Kaede!"

_He called me a friend_, Kaede thought dazedly. _Maybe... I can tell them. Maybe they'll understand._

"I-It was a gift from the only teacher here to treat me nice," Kaede said, looking down in embarrassment. "She couldn't take me with her, but she did give me this to remember her by. I-I can't just abandon her now."

"Oh, pretty please!" Bulma said. "It's really important. And we can pay you back, I promise."

Kaede thought long and hard about what to do. _What should I do? Bulma and Goku may be very nice_,_ but I can't just forget all that Asia has done for me. But they want to be my friends... how can I refuse that?_

She looked up again, opening her eyes, and took in a deep breath.

"I suppose I can give it to you," she said, "but can you do something for me?"

"Sure!" Goku said brightly. "What do you want, Kaede?"

"Yeah, you just name it, kid," Bulma told her.

"Please... take me with you," she beseeched them softly.

"Whoa, hold on!" Bulma objected. "We can't do that!"

"But why, Bulma?" Goku asked her. "We're traveling together."

"That's exactly the point," the blue-haired girl said. "I have enough problems dealing with you! I'm not babysitting someone else!" Bulma gestured to the building behind her. "Besides, she lives here! It'd be kidnapping!"

"Please, take me along with you," Kaede implored. "If you truly want my ball, then that's what I would like from you."

"But why do you want to leave, Kaede?" Goku asked. "This is your home."

"This place..." Kaede whispered. "I can't call it home. A home is a place where you are supposed to feel welcome. And I... I have never felt such a thing here... everybody here hates me, because of my horns..."

A single tear managed to escape her eye and slide down her cheek.

"I hate it," Kaede said fiercely. "I want out of here so much. I've always wished someone would come and take me away. But it's never happened, and you two are my only chance out of here..." Her eyes were filled with silent begging. "Please... I beg of you, _please_ take me along with you! I promise, you won't even know I'm there. Please."

Even Bulma looked moved by Kaede's passionate response.

"Oh, come on, Bulma? Please?" Goku begged. "Can't we take Kaede with us, huh, pretty please? I'll even stop being annoying!"

Bulma sighed, but then she seemed to perk up a little, as if she looked resigned to what was going to happen.

"Fine," Bulma relented. "Pack your stuff, we're taking you with us." Then she jumped as Miss Milan let out a groan, indicating that she was probably going to regain consciousness very soon. "But just hurry up before that woman wakes up!"

For the first time in a long time, Kaede let her emotions show with a genuine smile of relief and gratitude.

"Thank you, Bulma!" she said happily. "I don't have anything I want to take with me, but I'll go get the Dragon Ball."

She raced off back into the building while Goku jumped up and down.

"Yay, Kaede is coming with us!" he exclaimed joyfully.

"Calm down, squirt!" Bulma said haughtily. "You did promise to try and stop being annoying! Well, this definitely qualifies."

Goku immediately calmed down, his tail drooping slightly in a gesture of rejection.

"Oh yeah, that's right." The spiky-haired young boy rubbed the back of his neck. "Golly, this is going to be hard."

Bulma just sighed, as though she had been expecting that answer. And not a moment later, Kaede came out of the building, clutching in her hands a tiny orange ball that glittered brightly in the glow of the midday sun. Even from this distance, the distinctive pattern of the five dark orange stars emblazoned across the tiny orb was unmistakable.

Bulma grinned, seemingly forgetting her reluctance minutes earlier. "Yes!" she cried. "The five-star ball! This makes our third one!"

Kaede came up and held out the ball for them to see.

"See?" she said. "Here it is."

To her amazement, the ball began glowing brilliantly in her palms.

"Hey, what's going on?" she said in confusion. "It's glowing!"

"That's because your ball is coming into close proximity with the ones we have," Bulma informed the horned girl.

Just then, Miss Milan let out another groan, and Bulma knew that it was time to leave.

"I think we better get going, now," Bulma said.

She got back up on her motorbike, then turned to look and Kaede and Goku.

"Well, hop to!" she said. "We don't have any time to waste! Move it, move it, move it!"

"Is she always like that?" Kaede asked Goku, somewhat bewildered as to why Bulma was so cranky.

Goku laughed. "Yeah. You'll get used to it." Then he sucked in his breath and called out, "HEY, FLYING NIMBUS!"

Kaede stared at him. "Um, why did you do that, Goku?"

"It's what I say to call the Flying Nimbus," Goku told her. "Oh, here it comes now!"

Kaede glanced in the direction he was pointing and gasped. A fluffy yellow cloud was soaring towards them. It sped to a halt and stopped right before them, as though the cloud were waiting for something.

"What's this?" Kaede asked.

"The Flying Nimbus," Goku said proudly. "Master Roshi gave it to me."

"Master Roshi?" the pink-haired girl repeated.

"Yup!" Goku said. He hopped onto the cloud. "It's a lot faster than Bulma's bike."

"I heard that, you little shrimp!" Bulma grated. Then she smirked. "Ha! Once we're on our way, let's see if you can keep up with me!"

"C-Can I sit on this cloud too?" Kaede asked.

Goku touched his chin thoughtfully. "Well, only the pure of heart can ride on the Nimbus."

Kaede felt really nervous suddenly. _Pure of heart?_ she thought. _But I... I don't know if my heart is pure..._

Goku held out his hand, surprising Kaede out of her reverie.

"Come on, Kaede, try it," Goku urged her.

Kaede gulped. "Well, if you say so," she told him.

With no small amount of trepidation, Kaede took his hand and stepped onto the yellow cloud. And to her surprise, she didn't fall off.

"Wow, you definitely have a good heart!" Goku said happily. "But I knew you would."

Kaede looked at Goku, and there was no need for words between them now. She just smiled, and he smiled back.

Miss Milan groaned again, rubbing the back of her head this time. It was clear she was moments from waking up.

"Let's floor it, kids!" Bulma shouted. "We're outta here!"

The bike shot into motion with a sudden burst of speed as Bulma put her foot down on the accelerator with all her might. Suddenly, without needing a command from Goku, the Nimbus shot forward too. A little scared, Kaede clutched at Goku for support.

"Hey, there's no need to be afraid," Goku reassured her. "I've never fallen off the Nimbus yet."

Kaede nodded, relaxing her grip a little. They soon caught up with Bulma, and then the three of them were on their way. Kaede decided now was as good a time as any to voice the question she wanted to ask since first learning they were here for the Dragon Ball.

She held up the tiny orb and looked at it.

"So, why are you guys collecting these?" she asked Goku.

Goku glanced over at Bulma, who was close enough to hear her question.

"Well, that's kind of a long story..."

_What will this new development mean for our heroes now that Kaede has joined up with them on their quest? Will they succeed in uniting all seven of the Dragon Balls_,_ and if so_,_ what will they wish for? Find out the answer to these questions and more in the next chapter of __Dragon Ball: A New Beginning__!_

* * *

Yes, I know people are wanting me to finish _Dragon Ball: Altered Fates_, but that's a long ways off, and this idea would not get out of my head. So, I present to you a new fic. Please don't review begging me to continue _Altered Fates_. I will get to that in my own time.

Please review!


	2. Oolong the Terrible

Dragon Ball: A New Beginning

CHAPTER 2: Oolong the Terrible

_Last time on __Dragon Ball: A New Beginning_,_ our two heroes met up with Kaede_,_ a young orphan living in the forest_,_ and helped her out of a tough spot involving the bully Tomoo and his gang. Finding out the young girl with horns was actually the one who possessed the Dragon Ball_,_ Kaede struck a deal with our heroes; she would only give them the ball if they let her travel with them during their journey_,_ and after explaining why she felt that way_,_ Bulma finally agreed to take Kaede along with them. What new adventures await our heroes now that Kaede has joined them_,_ and can they find the remaining Dragon Balls and make a wish? Find out today_,_ on __Dragon Ball: A New Beginning__!_

Goku, Bulma, and Kaede traveled along the mountainous road, Bulma on her bike and Goku and Kaede on the Flying Nimbus.

Kaede glanced at her ball, much like she had done for the past few hours.

"I never knew this ball had such special powers," she whispered. "You said you can wish for anything you want?"

Goku looked back with a big smile on his face. "Yeah-huh!" he said cheerfully. "At least, that's what Bulma said!"

Kaede's eyes quivered. _Anything? I would wish for the Dragon to remove those damn horns on my head._

"Hey, are you okay there, Kaede?" Goku asked, noticing her sudden pensiveness.

Kaede shook herself out of her funk and nodded once. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said. "Just thinking."

"Okay, if you say so," Goku said with a smirk. "Faster, Nimbus, faster!"

The Nimbus crested a very large hill and zoomed across it wildly. Bulma tried to follow on her motorbike, but the jump was a bit too high, and her bike flew high over the ground for several meters.

"Goku, wait for me!" she cried.

The bike settled itself on the ground and Bulma breathed a sigh of relief. She glared up at the kids riding on the flying cloud.

"Hey guys, pay attention to where you're going!" Bulma warned them. "You're not invincible, Goku!"

And Bulma failed to take her own advice, flying over a high ledge and crash-landing, none too gracefully — or painlessly — on the ground.

"Ahhhhh!" she screamed before hitting the ground at full speed.

"Oh my goodness!" Kaede cried. "Is Bulma okay?"

"Dunno," Goku said. "Let's go closer."

With an unspoken command from Goku, the Nimbus soared towards the bike's crash site.

Bulma was sitting on the ground, whimpering in pain, but she seemed to be otherwise fine.

"Wow, that was a big crash!" Goku chirped. "Are you okay, Bulma?"

Kaede looked at Goku in confusion. _Does nothing ever faze him?_

"Does it look like I'm okay, you twerp?" Bulma demanded.

The Nimbus sped by and Goku jumped down. Following his lead, Kaede did the same.

"I guess not," Goku admitted.

"Will you be okay, Bulma?" Kaede asked, concerned.

"Of course I will, you idiot!" Bulma grated.

Kaede jerked back as if she'd been slapped. "Well, you don't have to call me names," she muttered sadly.

Goku wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Aw, hey, it's okay, Kaede," he comforted her. "Bulma's always like that."

Just then Kaede looked down and saw something very strange.

"Hey, guys, look!" she said. "My Dragon Ball! It's glowing."

Goku took out his Dragon Ball to check. "Hey, mine is too!" Goku said.

Bulma grabbed the balls and held them close, seemingly forgetting about her injuries.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Bulma said. "The fifth Dragon Ball must be really close. This is great!"

Goku glanced off to the side and noticed something. "Hey, look over there! Do you see what I see?"

Kaede looked over too. "It's a village," she stated matter-of-factly. "Do you think they have the Dragon Ball there?"

"I bet they do!" Goku shouted happily.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Bulma declared.

With that, the adventurers set off into the town. To their surprise, however, they noticed that what they expected to be a normally loud, bustling village square was actually totally deserted and very quiet.

"I wonder where everybody is," Bulma said.

"Huh?" Goku said, glancing around with his hand over his eyes, as if he was looking into something bright.

"Let's see what the radar says," Bulma said, pulling out her Dragon Radar. It beeped steadily and Bulma noted their close proximity to the glowing blip on the screen. "Yup, the fifth Dragon Ball's here all right. Something's weird. It's too quiet."

"Do you think something bad could've happened here?" Kaede asked softly.

"Possible," Bulma agreed. "This village does seem deserted."

"No, people are here," Goku said confidently. "I can feel it."

"Are you sure about that, Goku?" Kaede asked. "I don't sense anyone."

"Yeah, this place feels more like an old ghost town to me," Bulma added.

"No, I'm positive!" Goku said.

"If you say so," Bulma said dubiously.

"Well, I believe you," Kaede said.

"Thanks, Kaede," Goku said with a smile, before calling out. "Hello in there? Come on out!"

"Is there anyone else here?" Kaede called.

"Hello?" Bulma shouted. "Is anybody home? Hello?"

"I think I just saw someone peeking at us from that window over there!" Goku observed.

"This is getting freaky," Bulma said.

"There must be some reason why they won't come out here," Goku pointed out.

"What do you think it is, Goku?" Kaede asked.

"I don't know," Goku said, frowning, "but I'm going to find out what!"

With that, he jumped down from the Nimbus, Kaede following him, and made his way to one of the buildings.

"Hello?" Goku said as he banged on the door. "I know you're in there! Hello?"

"I hope they're not in trouble," Bulma said, remembering Kaede's earlier words.

Goku punched through the door. Kaede thought she was just imagining things, but she could've sworn that as he punched in the door, she saw a glint of silver, like something large and metallic.

"Oh yeah!" Goku said. "That did the trick!"

He opened the door, revealing a completely dark house.

"Ever consider using the handle?" Bulma sighed.

As they stepped into the darkened house, Kaede once more saw a flash of metal silver. Suddenly seeing movement out of the corner of her eyes, Kaede belatedly realized what it was, and she cried out in terror for her friend.

"GOKU, LOOK OUT!" she screamed.

Too late. In the darkness, someone swung an ax down, bringing it down on Goku's head. Instead of slicing clean through, as Kaede had been expecting, it just broke upon impact, leaving only a very large bruise on Goku's head.

"Goku!" Kaede cried. "Goku! Are you all right? Speak to me!"

Goku grabbed his head and began crying out in pain.

"Oh no!" his attacker moaned. "It's just as I feared. Oh, I should have known."

"What did you do that for?" Goku demanded, whipping out his Power Pole. "That didn't tickle, you know!"

Kaede glared at the man, and her gaze seemed to be the look of death itself.

"Yes, tell me now why you tried to kill my friend before I decide to do the same to you," she hissed coldly.

"_Yes_," a low, silky voice purred. "_Just kill him now. Slice him into pieces like the rest of his filthy kind._"

"Huh?" Kaede blinked, confused. She glanced around, but no one was there. "I-Is someone there? W-Who said that?"

Only Bulma seemed to notice Kaede's seemingly strange behavior. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked.

Kaede shook her head. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine," she said, more to reassure herself than Bulma.

"Oh, please forgive me, Mr. Oolong," Goku's attacker begged pathetically. "I know it was foolish of me to try to attack you, but I'd rather die than lose my daughter. Oh, please don't take her. I'll do anything!"

Goku calmed down. "Hey, I think you've got me mixed up with someone," he said. "My name's Goku."

"It's not him, Dad," a little girl behind the attacker spoke up. Kaede was surprised to see she looked no older than herself.

"You may have thought him to be someone else, but that doesn't matter," Kaede growled in a voice as chill as the polar breeze, taking a menacing step forward. The man backed away. "Apologize now, or I'll make you."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" the man apologized. "It was stupid of me to attack you. I was just trying to protect my daughter."

"Hey, you don't have to apologize, mister," Goku said, sitting down. He touched the bump on his scalp and winced.

By this time, a crowd was beginning to gather behind them. Nervously, Kaede covered her horns to make sure no one could see them.

"We should treat that bruise of yours," the little girl said, running to the sink to wet a washcloth.

They soon learned the man's name was Sherman Priest, and his daughter was named Pocawatha. Pocawatha returned with the wet washcloth, laying it gently over the rising bump on Goku's head.

"Here, this'll help you!" Pocawatha informed him cheerfully.

"Careful!" Goku complained. "Ow!"

"What a thick head," Pocawatha observed, amused.

"Yeah," Sherman Priest said, rather embarrassed.

Bulma shook her head. "Kaede's right. He could've been killed. Shame on you!"

"I know, I'm sorry," Sherman said. "But try to look at it from my perspective. I thought he was Oolong. I know it was rather foolhardy, but I thought it was the only chance I had of protecting Pocawatha."

"Daughter, huh?" Goku noted, looking more closely at Pocawatha. "So does that mean you're a girl?"

Pocawatha merely smiled, but she quit smiling when Goku quickly patted the front of her dress and gasped in shock. Kaede felt her heart lurch and her stomach drop. _Why am I feeling this way?_ she thought. _Why does it bother me so much if he touches her?_

She was distracted when Bulma walked over and abruptly hit Goku in the head.

"What'd you do that for?" Goku yelled.

"Guess, Einstein!" Bulma shouted back at him, glaring rather pointedly at the tailed boy.

"Goku, please try not to do that in the future," Kaede said softly.

"But why not?" Goku asked innocently. "I have to check to make sure if someone's a girl or not."

"You could just ask," Kaede remarked. "But please, don't do it. I-It really bothers me for some reason."

Bulma glanced at Kaede, tilting her head to the side in thought.

"But why does it bother you, Kaede?" Goku inquired.

Kaede blushed and shook her head. "I-I don't know! But please, stop doing that! Please."

"Well, okay, if it bothers you so much," Goku said with a shrug.

"Not just her, but other people too," Bulma said heatedly. With her outburst over, she then turned back to face Sherman Priest. "So what does this Oolong fellow do that makes everyone so afraid of him?"

Pocawatha ran into her father's arms, crying.

"He's our worst nightmare," Sherman said. "He's a blackness that has descended on our village, a monster who treats us like his toys."

"That bad?" Bulma commented.

"Much worse!" Sherman said.

"How so?" Bulma asked curiously.

"Well," Sherman began, "somehow, this terrible creature has the power to change into any shape it wants to. Instead of one nightmare, we're cursed by many. No one knows his real identity. We just know he wants our daughters. That monster has kidnapped three girls from the village already!"

"What does he want with your daughters?" Kaede asked cautiously.

Sherman shook his head. "We don't know that, but I fear the worst for them."

Images of the girls being turned into sex slaves assaulted Kaede's mind, despite how hard she tried to block them out.

"And yesterday, my darkest fears came true," Sherman continued. "He wants Pocawatha."

"Bully!" Goku declared. "Maybe we can track him when he comes back again!"

"How will you do that?" Sherman demanded. "He's bigger than this entire house! My word, you don't get it, do you? Oolong would squish you like a tiny little bug. There's no way we can stop this monster."

The crowd muttered.

"So tell us," Sherman inquired, "why have you two come here anyway?"

"I'll show you," Bulma said, pulling off her backpack. "Let's see..."

She reached down and pulled out the two-star Dragon Ball.

"There it is," she said as she showed it to the assembled group. "We came to find a ball that matches this one."

She handed it to Sherman Priest. He inspected it.

"Strange," he murmured. "Yes, it's very beautiful. But I've never seen anything like it."

"Well, I have," an old woman suddenly said. "Young lady, I have the matching one."

"I knew there was one here!" Bulma said.

"What do you know, how about that?" Sherman marveled.

"Would you mind if you showed it to us, miss?" Kaede asked, trying hard to remain polite.

"Hm-hmm," the old woman said. She pulled it out and displayed it. "Here it is."

"Yeah!" Bulma exclaimed. "The six-star ball!"

"We did it," Kaede said happily. "We found another Dragon Ball."

"Will you give it to us?" Goku asked the old woman.

"I'm not going to give this ball away," the old woman said sternly. "It's been in my family for generations."

Bulma stepped forward. "Would you give us your Dragon Ball if we could get rid of that Oolong creep, get the girls back, and restore your village to a peaceful place again?" she offered her rather tentatively.

"By yourselves?" Sherman gasped.

The crowd muttered again.

"Now listen, I may be old, but I'm not gullible," the old woman snorted. "How could the two of you beat Oolong?"

"You don't have to worry about that," Bulma reassured her. "We're a team."

"Do you believe you, that boy, and that girl _really_ have a chance to beat Oolong, miss?" one of the villagers asked.

"Yeah, I think we have a good chance," Bulma said.

"Yeah, Goku's very strong," Kaede piped up as she fondly remembered him beating Tomoo and his gang to a pulp.

"I'm Bulma," Bulma introduced. "I'm the brains of this outfit."

"My name is Kaede," Kaede said shyly. "And this is Goku."

After looking at the gathered villagers, Sherman Priest nodded and turned back to face the three travelers.

"We'd appreciate your help," he said.

A brown-haired, bearded man in the crowd spoke up. "There's a legend that speaks of a boy who would come to liberate our people, but we always thought it was just folklore," he said thoughtfully.

"Bulma, it would be the answer to all my prayers if you brought my baby back," a mother said.

An Indian man ran up to Goku and clasped his hands.

"You have my blessing, young warrior," he said. "Your courage stands like a great monument before my people."

Bulma smiled. "I just thought of a great way to trap Oolong," she announced.

With that, she glanced over at Kaede.

"Um, why are you looking at me like that?" she asked the older girl.

Bulma giggled. "Why, I'd say you're perfect," she said.

"Perfect for what?" Kaede said, beginning to grow frustrated.

Bulma didn't answer and turned back to face the villagers.

"Here's my plan," she explained. "First, we have to find out where Oolong is hiding those girls, and to do that, we'd need a girl. So, how about we offer Kaede to this Oolong person instead of Pocawatha?"

Kaede blinked several times, wondering if she'd heard the blue-haired girl right.

The villagers spoke among themselves in low whispers.

"It sounds like a good plan," the Indian man said.

"Yeah, I think Oolong will go along with it if we just present it in the right way," the mother from before said.

"Now, wait just one minute!" Kaede protested. "I am _not_ okay with this! At all! I don't want to be bait."

"Oh come on, Kaede, you're the one who wanted to come with us in the first place," Bulma reminded the pink-haired girl, placing her hands on her hips. "You can't back out now when we really need your help."

"No, I don't think so," Kaede said, concealing her horns even more tightly. "Besides, it's not like Oolong would even want me in any case," she added bitterly, hating her life and her horns with all her might.

"Huh?" Goku asked. "But what do you mean by that?"

"Oh, I get it now," Bulma added, rolling her eyes. "Kaede is still suffering from the misguided belief that because she has those cat-ear horns on her head, Oolong isn't going to want to take her with him."

Kaede glared at Bulma, wishing she could reach out and wipe that smug look off the older girl's face. _How dare she reveal my horns!_ she fumed silently deep inside. _And in front of all these people_,_ no less!_

"Huh?" the old woman said. "What horns? I see no horns."

"Aw, you just gotta look for them," Goku said as he reached out to pull Kaede's arms down.

"No, Goku, please don't do it!" she begged. "No, stop, don't do it!"

But Goku's strength was not to be denied and soon her arms had been pulled down, revealing the protrusions on either side of her skull.

Kaede wished she could sink into the floor, standing there in front of everyone, her mutation on display for the entire world to see.

"You shouldn't be embarrassed, Kaede," Goku said gently. "I'm not embarrassed by my tail. Those horns are really unique, and I like them a lot. Anyone who doesn't like them isn't worth wasting our time on."

"Yeah, there's absolutely nothing wrong with them, dearie," the old woman told the horned girl.

"Y-You mean it?" Kaede asked, her eyes wobbling.

"Of course," the old woman said. "I never say something I don't mean, dearie."

The crowd voiced its assent, basically agreeing with the old woman!

"Your horns are actually kind of cute," someone said.

"I didn't even notice them at first," somebody else in the crowd said.

"I actually think Oolong would take you because of them," another person said.

Kaede just stood there, feeling many overwhelming emotions surging through her.

_T-They don't hate me because of my horns?_ she thought, with no small amount of wonder. _They don't judge me? But why?_

"So, will you help us, please?" the woman from before asked Kaede.

Having been complimented and come face-to-face with even more people who didn't judge her simply because of her horns, Kaede finally felt secure enough to realize that perhaps it was worth helping these people with their problem.

"Okay, I-I guess so," she stammered.

"Super!" Bulma exclaimed. "Thanks, kid. You've really saved our skins."

"Just promise you'll get to me before Oolong tries anything... inappropriate," Kaede requested. "Please, Goku."

Goku thumped his chest. "I promise," Goku vowed. "You have my word, Kaede."

Kaede looked at him, and for the first time in her life, felt she could trust him.

It took about an hour, but when they finally felt the first rumbles that heralded Oolong's arrival, Kaede felt confident enough to try.

"He's coming!" a cowboy informed them. "Oolong's in the village and he's on his way here!"

"Good job," Bulma told him. "Now try to make sure everyone gets into their houses safely."

"I'll do it," the cowboy said, rushing off.

Kaede appeared in the doorway and took a deep breath.

"Okay, it's up to you," Bulma told her. "Good luck."

Kaede nodded, feeling queasy inside. "Thank you, Bulma."

Bulma retreated into the house, keeping it open a peek so she could see what was happening outside.

"Remember, smile," Bulma advised from inside the house.

Kaede sighed. "I'll try to keep that in mind."

The rumble soon resolved itself into a giant, monstrous creature. It was a huge red ogre with spiked horns poking out of his skull. He had black hair, a piggish nose, and was carrying a bouquet of flowers as well as wearing a white tuxedo.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" the giant beast said with amusement. "You're not Pocawatha!"

Kaede gulped and steeled her resolve. "I am not," she told him steadily, but inside, she was quivering. "I-I'm here to tell you that Pocawatha doesn't want to go with you. The engagement is off."

"Oh?" Oolong said, though his voice betrayed his ever growing amusement. "How disappointing! I had had my heart set on her ever since I first lay eyes on her!" Then he looked much closer at Kaede, and the pink-haired girl began to feel distinctly uncomfortable, like his roaming eyes were rubbing slime-coated mucous all over her body. "Hey, you're quite the little specimen yourself."

Kaede nodded nervously. "That's why I'm out here," she said. "I-I've come to tell you that I would rather go with you instead."

"Indeed?" the beast said. "Well, I would like Pocawatha, but I'd be a fool to refuse a rare beauty like you."

Kaede felt her heart flutter. _He thinks I'm beautiful?_ she thought, shocked. _Me? But... he... he's the bad guy! How can he give me such a nice compliment? Does he really mean it? Oh_,_ I'm so very confused!_

"Oh, tough decisions," Oolong said mock thoughtfully. "Pocawatha or the new girl? Pocawatha or the new girl? Hmm..."

Kaede stepped forward. "It's simple," she said. "Pocawatha doesn't want to leave home. Her father needs her. I have no one else." Kaede almost snorted at the total understatement of that sentence, but she had to make her part look convincing to him. "I-I would be honored if you would accept me in her place. I-I want to go with you. I need to go with you."

The towering beast smiled. "Well, I'm sold!" he said grandly. "Never could resist such a pretty face!"

Kaede blushed deeply at Oolong's praise, but didn't say anything.

"Can you cook or clean my house for me?" Oolong asked Kaede rather brusquely.

"I..." Kaede said, then turned to look at the door behind which Bulma and Goku were hiding.

"Say yes!" she heard Bulma hiss. "_Say yes!_"

Kaede returned her gaze to Oolong. "Yes, yes, I can," she told the ogre, wondering if he would spot the lie.

"Then that's it," Oolong said, holding out his giant hand. "Come with me, new girl. I've decided. I'm taking you instead."

Hesitantly, Kaede took it, but she could hear a commotion behind Sherman Priest's door, and she knew Goku would be following her with Bulma. Knowing that Goku had her back was extremely comforting to her.

"By the way, you haven't told me your name yet," Oolong observed.

Kaede swallowed again. "Kaede," she said. "My name is Kaede."

"Kaede," Oolong repeated. "A name fit for a princess."

Kaede didn't trust herself to say anything. Instead, she let him lead her out of Aru Village, feeling the rumble alongside him for every step that he took. They traveled quite a ways but Kaede was peripherally aware of the others following her some distance behind them.

_I have to stall him_, she thought. _I can't let him see them!_

"So, where are you taking me?" the pinkette asked him.

"To my home," Oolong told her. "Well, it's more of a palace. I had to rip off a lot of people to get it."

"Is that where the other girls are?" Kaede inquired.

Oolong shifted his gaze, and Kaede could see him evaluating her out of the corner of his eyes.

"Huh, and how do you know about the other girls?" Oolong asked. He chuckled. "Who told you?"

Kaede immediately tensed up, hoping that she didn't blow her cover as she searched for a response.

"The townspeople know a lot about you," she said uncertainly. "I-I asked them about you. T-They say you have other girls."

Oolong laughed and held up one single finger, which he waggled teasingly. "Ah, but don't be fooled, precious flower," he said. "I may have other girls, but you're the prettiest of the lot of them by far."

Kaede was just not used to being told how pretty she was. It was a concept she had a hard time grasping her head around, since she had been told ever since she was three that she was an ugly ox who was repulsive and hideous. _Is it possible they were wrong?_ Kaede thought. _A-Am I really pretty after all?_

"Well, we're here," Oolong announced.

Kaede looked up to see an imperial palace stretched out before them. It was large, imposing, regal, and overall very impressive.

"What do you think?" Oolong asked her, desperate to please her.

Kaede smirked. The time had come to act. "It's sufficient."

With that, she broke away from Oolong and ran from the shapeshifting monster.

"I found his house!" she shouted. "Over here! The girls are here!"

A crowd stepped out from behind a clump of trees, surging forward like a wave of water. Even from this distance, she could see Goku and Bulma in the lead, trailing the others like a bunch of swarming fish.

Oolong grabbed his head and roared.

"I have been deceived!" he hollered. "If there is one thing I do not tolerate, it is deception! I won't let you get away with this!"

With that, a cloud of smoke erupted around Oolong, and when it cleared, he was revealed to be a snorting, charging bull. Kaede rushed forward to meet Goku, standing besides Bulma. The crowd held back while Goku hurried forward to confront Oolong.

_Please be okay_,_ Goku_, she thought.

"Let's see how tough you really are!" Goku taunted as he whipped out his Power Pole.

"Oh, so you're the one who wants to challenge me, eh, _amigo_?" Oolong said, now speaking in a Mexican accent for some weird reason. "Well, all right then, say your prayers, _chico_. Your time has come."

Goku was doing some stretches, looking completely unafraid.

"You've reached the end of the road there, _muchacho_," he added.

Goku stuck out his tongue and pulled his eyelid down at him.

"Smile!" he mocked.

Oolong slammed his enormous hoof down. The villagers backed away a few paces.

"Oh my goodness, this could get messy!" the mother said nervously.

"That poor little boy!" another woman said.

"What are you, _loco_, kid?" Oolong demanded. "There's still a way you can save yourself. If you leave town now, I'll spare you."

"Forget it, bully," Goku said. "Come on, let's go!"

"All right then, so be it!" Oolong said. "A little monkey boy burrito might hit the spot anyway! Sounds yummy!"

"Look, you can't scare me like you've scared everyone else!" the spiky-haired boy declared. "I'm not buying it!"

"Haven't you noticed?" Oolong shouted angrily. "You're a little _cucaracha_ with a stick and I am a gigantic bull." Oolong paused, then eyed Goku warily. "What makes you think you're a match for me?"

"I learned Karate from my grandpa!" Goku said defiantly.

"Karate, huh?" Oolong said, suddenly intrigued. "Well, we'll see about that!"

With that, Oolong changed forms again. He now not a gigantic robot. He placed a few bricks in front of Goku.

"If you're any good at Karate, you can break these bricks with one hand," Oolong challenged.

"Oh yeah? Well, I can break them apart with one finger!" Goku said. "Watch this!"

And Goku demonstrated his skill. The villagers' eyes went wide as well as Oolong's. In fact, only Kaede and Bulma seemed unaffected.

"Well, that settles that," Oolong said. "You know what I do to people who can do that?"

Goku shrugged. Oolong changed again, this time into a bat.

"See ya later, sucker," he said, and then flew away.

"Hey, where are you going?" Goku called, disappointed.

"What a coward!" Kaede sniffed. "He's running away!"

"Hey, just don't stand there, you idiot!" Bulma shouted. "Go after him! We can't let him get away with this!"

"Oh, you're right," Goku said. "NIMBUS!"

The faithful yellow cloud swooped down, and Goku jumped on it. Kaede came up, but Goku shooed her back.

"No, Kaede, you should stay with Bulma," he said. I'll handle Oolong."

With that, Goku flew off, while the villagers all gasped with shock.

"Amazing!" Sherman said. "It's our legend that an evil monster..."

He apparently couldn't finish, so the old woman took over. "Would be toppled over by a mere boy who could dance on the clouds."

Kaede looked strangely at the crowd. "I don't think Goku is really dancing on the clouds, it's only one, and besides, it's just transporting him, he's not dancing on it," she told them, sounding very confused.

The old woman chuckled at Kaede's naiveté. "Just a figure of speech, young lady," she said.

"Oh, okay," Kaede said, still sounding very much confused.

Meanwhile, Oolong was flapping hard to get away.

"That kid is a royal pain in the ass!" Oolong huffed. "Too bad he doesn't know how to fly."

With that, Goku zoomed by below. "Hey, Oolong!" Goku cried with a feral grin. "Where do you think you're going?"

Oolong transformed into a rocket and sped away in a blaze of fire.

"So long, sucker!" he hooted.

"Oh no you don't!" Goku declared.

And that began an epic chase, with Oolong leading Goku on a wild ride, but the little tailed boy never gave an inch, and slowly but surely, he started gaining on the kidnapper the more that the two traveled.

"Here I come!" Goku yelled. "I'm gaining on you, Oolong!"

Still Oolong sped away, traversing deep chasms in a vain effort to shake Goku off.

"I won't let you get away, you know," Goku warned Oolong.

"Oh no, my five minutes!" Oolong suddenly cried.

And with another cloud of smoke, Oolong changed into a a black-suited pig with a chauffeur's hat.

"Are up!" he finished.

Immediately, he dropped like a stone towards the far distant ground below.

"I'm not ready to die!" he screamed.

Goku grabbed hold of Oolong and hoisted him up, making sure the shapeshifting pig didn't fall.

"That's because you haven't been being good," Goku told him.

"And who the hell are you, my psychiatrist?" Oolong scoffed.

Goku dragged Oolong back to the group, who was surprised to see the feared monster of their nightmares was really just a small pig.

"Is this Oolong?" Sherman asked skeptically, obviously doubting that the pig in front of him was the same Oolong.

"Yup!" Goku said. "Somehow, I think this is the real him."

"Why does that not surprise me...?" Kaede muttered.

"So, you're just a regular old pig after all, aren't you, Oolong?" Bulma said.

"Yeah, so what?" Oolong said, trying to act tough, though he looked subdued. "And what do you want from me, a confession?"

"No, just tell us where the missing girls are, and we'll be equal," Bulma said.

Oolong pointed to his large, imperialistic palace. "They're in there."

As soon as he said these words, the concerned parents rushed up the steps.

"Little flower," the Indian man said, "it's me! Your poo-pa is here!"

"Poo-pa?" Kaede repeated, giggling.

"Alexi!" the mother said.

"Your mother's here, Sarah!" another mother cried.

The group followed the overjoyed parents into the palace, Goku and Kaede keeping a close watch on Oolong.

"You're safe now, sweetheart!" the Indian man declared.

"Don't worry, girls, we're coming!" one of the fathers shouted.

They reached a small lounge, and to their shock they found...

"Huh?" the mother repeated in surprise. "Sarah, is that you?"

"Alexi, what are you doing?!" the father demanded angrily.

"Oh, hi, Daddy," Alexi said. "What's happening?"

"Sorry I didn't write, Mommy," Sarah said. "I've been super busy."

"Me too," the little Indian girl said. "Man, time has just been flying by!"

"Did you find them?" Bulma asked as the group came up behind the parents.

"Huh?" Goku said.

"They're okay!" Kaede exclaimed.

"Hi, girls," Oolong said.

"Oh, hi, snookums," Alexi said. "Oh, before I forget, I'm totally out of pink lipstick and red nail polish."

"And I need a new hair dryer," Sarah added.

"Did you bring the diet drinks that I asked you for?" the Indian girl asked.

Oolong looked rather embarrassed. "I was hoping these girls would cook and take care of my house, but they don't, all they want to do is lay around," he told the assembled crowd. "Take them off my hands, pretty please?" he begged.

"They never even called their parents to tell them they were okay?" Kaede hissed. "They might have been better off as sex slaves."

"_Yes_," the unseen voice from before purred. "_It would be so easy just to... kill them all. You have the power. Use it_,_ my dear._"

Kaede whimpered and held her head, causing Goku to glance at her confusedly.

With a smile, the old woman turned to face Bulma.

"Well, this belongs to you, Goku, and Kaede now," she said and handed her the six-star ball.

"Wow! You've made our day!" Bulma yelled happily. _Just two more to go_,_ and then I can call the Dragon to make my wish._

Kaede suddenly had a thought. She looked between Oolong and the villagers and back again.

"Hey, what are we going to do with Oolong?" she asked.

Bulma looked thoughtful for a moment. "Oh, that's right. Gosh, I hadn't thought about that." She put her hand on her chin and thought it over. "Hmm... hmm... well, I guess we can just take him with us."

Oolong, Kaede, and Goku looked shocked.

"Really, you mean it?" Goku asked.

"Sure I do, kid!" Bulma said, obviously still cheerful about receiving their fifth Dragon Ball. "Now come on, time's wasting."

"Oh yeah, I know what this means," Oolong said with a smirk at Goku. "She wants me, kid. There's no other explanation."

As they exited the house the villagers gathered to wave goodbye to them.

"Goodbye!"

"Take care now!"

"Lots of luck!"

"Bye!" Goku waved, giggling happily. He turned to the open air. "Flying Nimbus!"

The Nimbus floated down in front of them, and Goku hopped on to the fluffy transport, quickly followed by Kaede.

"Well, here we go!" Bulma announced. "It's off to find the remaining Dragon Balls!"

_After restoring peace to a forgotten village along the way_,_ and recovering the six-star ball_,_ our heroes now embark on their way to collect the remaining two Dragon Balls_,_ with one more addition to their party than they intended. How will things fare from now on with both Kaede and Oolong along for the ride? One thing's for sure. You don't want to miss the next chapter of __Dragon Ball: A New Beginning__!_

* * *

Yeah, things pretty much remain the same as they are from canon, except that now Kaede is offered to Oolong instead of Goku. I'm afraid most major plot changes won't be occurring till the Red Ribbon Army Saga. That's when I plan to introduce more of the _Elfen Lied_ elements into this crossover. Now, I'd like your guys' opinion. Would you like me to incorporate elements from all versions into this crossover, including the original Toonami run, Kai, the Japanese, and the remastered dub? Also, would anyone be interested in power levels? I guess that's all.

Please review! ^_^


	3. Encounter With Yamcha

Dragon Ball: A New Beginning

CHAPTER 3: Encounter With Yamcha

_Last time on Dragon Ball: A New Beginning_,_ our three traveling heroes_,_ Goku_,_ Bulma_,_ and Kaede came across a small village in their search for the seven magical Dragon Balls. Upon their arrival_,_ they discovered the inhabitants of the village lived in fear of a shapeshifting monster_,_ Oolong_,_ who kidnapped the girls from the village to suit his own twisted purposes. In exchange for the Dragon Ball that one of the villagers possessed_ _Goku_,_ Kaede_,_ and Bulma agreed to rid the village of Oolong once and for all. It seemed difficult at first_,_ but nothing's hard when you put your mind to it_,_ especially when you've got Kaede with you. Tricking Oolong into taking Kaede with him_,_ the gang was able to learn where the girls were hidden_,_ and after some quick moves by Goku_,_ Oolong himself was caught. The team has earned their fifth Dragon Ball_,_ but with Oolong along for the journey_,_ can they find their sixth Dragon Ball_,_ or will their attempt fail before it begins? Find out today_,_ on Dragon Ball: A New Beginning!_

Goku, Kaede, and Oolong sat in the back of the boat as Bulma drove across the river.

"It was a good idea to travel down this river," Bulma commented. "We're making excellent time."

"That's great, but why is Oolong coming with us again?" Goku asked her.

"I told you, kid, it's because she's got a thing for me," Oolong said with a smirk. "She can't resist my natural cute cuddliness."

"Goku, I keep telling you, can't you remember once?" Bulma complained, sighed, then went into "lecturing mode." "I thought that Oolong's special powers could an asset for us, especially if we're on such a dangerous adventure. We might need his help."

"Yeah, nice excuse, toots, but you know the _real_ reason I'm coming along," Oolong stated confidently. "It's because deep down inside, you want me, but you don't want to admit it. Come on, can you honestly say I'm not your type?"

"Exactly!" Bulma sniffed imperiously. "I'm looking for tall, dark and handsome."

"Just give it time, honey, you'll see, I'm the man!" Oolong said.

"I doubt that, Oolong," Kaede chimed in. "You're not my type either."

As she said this, she gave a sidelong glance to Goku, unnoticed by either the boy himself or Oolong, but Bulma sure did.

"Aw, come on!" Oolong whined. "This is my first time traveling together with two beautiful girls, and you're seriously telling me when I finally luck out neither of you babes want anything to do with me?"

"Pretty much," Kaede said with a shrug.

"Oh man, that stings!" Oolong moaned. "Oh, just kill me and end the pain..."

"Can it, pork rinds!" Bulma commanded. "Just remember, we can always drop you off at any time."

"I may take you up on that," Oolong sulked.

"How much further, Bulma?" Goku suddenly inquired.

"Well, we should almost be there by now," Bulma replied. "This map will tell us exactly."

"Where is it that we are going, Bulma?" Kaede asked curiously.

"Uh, we're going to some place called, uh... Fire Mountain," Bulma told the pinkette, examining the map in her hands.

Without warning, Oolong suddenly began freaking out.

"Fire Mountain?!" Oolong exclaimed vehemently. "Are you crazy?! There's no way you're dragging me there!"

"What's so scary about a mountain?" Goku said reasonably.

"For starters, the place is always on fire, and it's the home of the terrible Ox King!" Oolong explained quickly, his eyes still frenzied and wild, and not without a hint of fear as well. "Do you understand now why we can't go there?"

"Is it really that bad?" Goku asked.

Oolong nodded nervously.

"Relax, Oolong, Goku's strong enough to take care of some old ox," Bulma asserted.

"I don't know, Bulma," Kaede said uncertainly. "What if Oolong's right?"

"Yes, listen to her!" Oolong urged desperately. "She's the only one who knows what she's talking about! I've heard that the Ox King is the strongest, fiercest, most unpleasant warrior in the whole world! They say he's over ten feet tall and weighs around five hundred pounds, and he's always on the prowl for anybody who might try and climb up the mountain to get into his castle. He carries a giant battle ax, and let me tell you, he's no slouch with it either! He's been terrorizing the people of the countryside for years, and they say that if you meet the Ox King there's only one thing you can do if you wanna escape the encounter with your life and that's to run away, because if he catches you..." And here Oolong dragged the bottom of his hand over his throat — "you'll be dead meat."

As Oolong wound down his dramatic speech, Kaede was now looking terrified and even Bulma looked a little nervous.

"You really heard that?" Bulma asked.

Oolong nodded.

"B-Bulma, I don't know if we actually should go to Fire Mountain," Kaede told the blue-haired girl.

"But we've got to go!" Goku exclaimed. "If we don't, we'll never get the Dragon Balls!"

"But is it really worth it to risk our lives?" Kaede whispered. "I... I don't want to lose you, Goku, now that I've found you."

"Aw, hey, cheer up, you're not going to lose me," Goku said.

"Yeah, Goku's right, Kaede!" Bulma said, building back up to confidence. "Besides, even if the Ox King is that strong, maybe we can sneak around. We at least have to try first, don't we? We need those Dragon Balls."

"Yeah!" Goku agreed cheerfully. "And if that doesn't work, we just attack him head on." His eyes shone with excitement. "He sounds like he's a really strong fighter and I'd love to get the chance to actually fight him."

"Are you serious, Goku?" Kaede asked him.

Goku nodded. "Sure," he said. "There's always a way to win if you look hard enough. We've just got to find it."

"Well, you're sure as hell not dragging me there!" Oolong yelled.

He jumped up and in a puff of smoke transformed himself into a red scaled fish.

"Well, I'm outta here!" he declared. "See you three suckers later!"

With that, he dove into the lake, disappearing from their sight. Bulma immediately stopped the boat.

"Hey!" she screamed angrily at the spot Oolong had been.

Goku hopped up onto the back of the boat.

"Don't worry, Bulma!" he announced as he began stripping. "I'll get him!"

"Goku, what do you think you're doing?!" Kaede cried.

He had finished stripping and now stood completely naked on the back of the boat. He glanced back at her.

"Going into the lake to catch Oolong," Goku told the horned girl. "I promise I'll be right back."

"But... but..." she stammered, blushing deeply and trying not to focus too much on Goku's totally bare body.

"Goku, you shouldn't strip in front of girls!" Bulma scolded him. "It's not proper!"

"But I always go swimming naked," Goku protested.

Bulma sighed and put her face in her hands. "Goku..." she growled.

Kaede, meanwhile, had covered her flaming cheeks with both her hands.

"Oh, Goku..." she whispered, looking down in embarrassment.

Goku just stared at the two of them in confusion for a few seconds longer, then shrugged and leaped into the water. A few seconds later, Goku's head popped back up out of the depths, looking immensely frustrated.

"I lost him, guys!" he said. "I guess I took too long getting down there."

Kaede sighed, looking terribly upset.

"I'm sorry," she apologized miserably. "I shouldn't have distracted you. You would have caught him if I didn't."

Goku worked his way to the boat and climbed back on.

"It's okay, Kaede," he said, his now sleek and wet body completely on display for her to see.

Kaede let out a pathetic, whimpering, longing moan, and placed her hands over her eyes.

"What's wrong, Kaede?" Goku asked concernedly, sensing her obvious distress.

"JUST PUT SOME CLOTHES ON, YOU DUMMY!" Bulma roared, her cheeks also red.

"Okay, okay," Goku winced. "You don't have to yell at me."

Hesitantly, Kaede let down her hands and looked at Goku one more.

_This is probably the only time I'll ever see him naked again_, she thought. _But why... why do I feel this way?_

She gawked at him as he dressed. As he was pulling his shirt on, Goku noticed.

"Uh, why are you looking at me that way?" Goku inquired innocently.

Kaede's heart stopped. How could she explain it? It was too much.

"I-I don't know," she lied, looking down in mortification.

Goku came over and patted Kaede on the back. She glanced back up, surprised. Goku smiled brightly.

"It's okay," he reassured her. "You don't have to be so jealous, no way."

"J-Jealous?" Kaede asked, blinking. "Jealous about what?"

"That you don't have any balls," Goku stated boldly, causing Kaede to blush deeply once again.

"I... I... I..." she stammered, unable to think of a coherent sentence.

_What _is_ it about this boy?_ she wondered. _He's so embarrassing_,_ so weird... yet so _fascinating_._

Bulma reached over and promptly whacked Goku on the head.

"OW!" Goku complained loudly. "Hey, why do you keep hitting me?!"

"If you weren't so stupid, I wouldn't have to that!" Bulma yelled.

Kaede, desperate for a change in topic, said, "So, how are we going to capture Oolong now?"

"Oh, that's a very good question Kaede," Bulma said, seemingly relieved at the change in subject as well. "You see, the thing is, if you want to catch a fish, you have to use the right kind of bait." Bulma's eyes lit up. "Kaede, are you wearing panties?"

For the third time in a row, Kaede blushed and drew back in surprise.

"W-What?" she stuttered. "Why... why would you ask me that?"

"Trust me, it's for a good cause," Bulma assured her.

Kaede shut her eyes tightly, but when she opened them again, she looked calmer, and she nodded.

"Okay, but can you please turn away, Goku?" she implored the messy-haired boy.

"But why?" Goku asked. "I don't mind seeing you naked, Kaede."

Kaede blushed again at the idea of Goku seeing her naked, even a tiny bit.

_I saw Goku naked_, Kaede realized. _I guess it's only fair he sees me naked too. At least partially naked._

"O-O-Okay," she told him. "You can look if you want."

"What the hell?!" Bulma exclaimed. "Kaede, what are you saying?"

But the pinkette had already begun shucking her shorts off.

"No, you shouldn't be looking, Goku!" Bulma insisted.

"But why?" Goku asked. "I don't get it."

"It's just... it..." Bulma grabbed her hair in frustration. "It isn't appropriate!"

But Kaede had shucked off her panties already, and blushing furiously, she slowly slid her white-colored panties down her legs.

"Oh, fine," Bulma sighed, sounding very, very resigned to her fate. "You do what you want to, kid."

Kaede handed the panties to Bulma, who accepted them without saying a word, still facing forward with a deep frown. Once Bulma had them, Kaede reached for her red shorts, VERY aware that Goku was seeing her bare bottom, and therefore still blushing. Once she had the shorts on, she couldn't even look at Goku, but after a few moments, she glanced his way again.

Goku was smiling.

"See? It's no big deal!" Goku stated cheerfully. "You don't have to be embarrassed. You're very pretty, Kaede."

Kaede's eyes sparkled. "Really?" she murmured softly.

"Well, of course!" Goku said. "I wouldn't lie!"

_Goku thinks I'm pretty!_ Kaede thought happily. _I've never been so happy in my life._

And that, Kaede knew in the end, was more than worth a few seconds of embarrassment.

Bulma cleared her throat. "Well, if both of you are done with happy hour," she said sarcastically, "I have a plan to catch Oolong."

"With my panties?" Kaede asked skeptically.

"Yes," Bulma said, now sounding very smug. "Precisely."

With that, Bulma placed the panties on a fishing pole hook and lowered the pole into the shimmering depths.

"Do you think he'll bite?" Goku asked her.

"If I know Oolong, he will," Bulma assured him confidently.

And sure enough, not a second later, the line jerked.

"I think I've got a nibble," Bulma said, and tugged on the line.

Oolong flew out of the lake, still in fish form.

"Grab him, Goku!" Bulma shouted.

Goku complied. Oolong flopped around in his grip, still gnawing at the panties in his gaping mouth.

"Hey, what do you know?" Goku said. "He bit your shorts!"

After that Oolong had no choice but to stay with with them on their journey. Goku handed Kaede her panties.

"Here," he said.

"Oh, no thank you," Kaede said, thinking of Oolong gnawing on them. "I think I'll go without them for a while."

Goku shrugged carelessly. "Okay, suit yourself."

The gang continued on their path down the lake. Halfway through, Goku made an upsetting discovery...

"Hey, why is all the food gone?" Goku demanded, hungrily holding his fork and knife. "Did you make a pig out of yourself?"

"Unfortunate choice of words, but the great outdoors do make me hungry," Oolong snorted.

Bulma held out a large yellow ball. "Here, take this special vitamin," she said. "It'll fill you right up and give you strength."

Oolong accepted the yellowish ball.

"It doesn't look like much, but I'll try it," Oolong said dubiously.

The pig threw it in his mouth and gobbled it up.

"It's made of all natural ingredients," Bulma added. "It's very good for you."

"I just hope you health nuts don't eat pork," Oolong muttered.

Unseen to the three of them, Bulma chuckled softly to herself in a seemingly self-satisfied way.

"Hey, Bulma, what about me?" Goku whined. "I'm hungry, too."

"You're always hungry," Kaede observed.

"Uh, sorry, but that was the last one," Bulma said quickly.

"See, kid, it's my hoggish allure," Oolong said, building right back up to smugness. "I'm not your average porker."

However, Bulma's reply was interrupted when the engine grumbled and died.

"That's great!" Bulma said. "We're out of gas!"

"Is that sort of like being out of food?" Goku asked innocently.

"Not exactly, Goku," Kaede said. "But not far off, either."

"The boat won't starve without food, but it won't run either," the blue-haired beauty told him.

"Well, is there something we can feed the boat with?" the naïve boy asked.

Bulma looked back at Oolong.

"Oolong, do you think you can turn into a tank of gas?" she said.

"Against union rules, honey," Oolong protested. "Besides, I'd just get all used up."

"Maybe you can change into an oar," Kaede suggested. "So we can row ourselves to shore."

"Good thinking, Kaede!" Bulma complimented her.

Oolong giggled perversely. "I would be honored to be 'handled' by a girl like you, Kaede."

The black-suited pig jumped up. "Showtime!"

And he transformed into an oar. Kaede took hold of it, but immediately, she shivered at the idea of rowing with it. Somehow, she got the feeling Oolong would enjoy that too much. She held it out to Goku.

"Goku, can you please use him to row us back to shore?" she asked him.

Oolong moaned in disappointment. Goku took the oar from it.

"But what am I supposed to do with this?" Goku wondered. "How can a big stick get us back to shore?"

"You row with it," Bulma told him, "like this." And she demonstrated for him.

"Wow, that's really neat!" Goku shouted delightedly.

And he proceeded to use it as they'd showed him. In no time at all, the four of them were on dry land again. Once the boat was secured to a tree by a long length of rope, Goku turned back to face the group.

"I gotta go, Bulma!" he said.

"Don't be gone long!" Bulma advised him.

And Goku proceeded to walk up to the lake, pull down his pants, and pee into the lake.

Kaede slapped her hand to her forehead. _Oh_,_ Goku..._

"Goku!" Bulma reprimanded, then shook her head. "Really, that kid."

"He's so embarrassing," Kaede shared with the blue-haired genius, "and yet so fascinating. I've never met anyone like him."

"Well, that's true, at least," Bulma agreed.

"Well, it's too bad we couldn't make it to Fire Mountain," Oolong remarked, clearly hoping to dissuade them.

"I hate to disappoint you, Oolong, but we're practically there already," she told the cowardly pig.

"But it's crazy to go there!" Oolong said. "It's way too dangerous!"

"Huh?" Bulma said suddenly.

"Huh?" Oolong repeated, noticing the glazed, faraway look in her eyes.

Bulma looked up in horror. "My... my... Dyno Caps, they're missing. No."

And then Bulma ran up to the lake next to Goku, who had just finished peeing, and screamed wildly out into the empty wilderness.

"We're trapped in a wasteland with no way to get out!" she cried.

She ran back up to Oolong. "I think you took our Dyno Caps just like you stole our lunch, you little porker!" she accused.

"But where would he hide the Dyno Caps if he stole them?" Kaede inquired. "And what would he do with them?"

"Well, okay, good point," Bulma grumbled. "But it doesn't matter! We won't be going anywhere!"

And she ran back up to the lake and screamed again.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Goku asked. "Why are you so upset?"

"You just don't get it, Goku," Bulma moaned, dropping down to her knees. "Without the Dyno Caps, we're stuck here! No boats, no bikes, nothing! Nada! We'll just rot here alone, with no food, until we die!"

"But..." Goku said as he the Nimbus rose up under him. "Why can't you just walk, Bulma?"

"That's easy for you to say!" Bulma screeched. "You!" — and she pointed at Goku — "and you!" — and she pointed at Kaede too, who blinked in surprise — "can both ride on the Flying Nimbus! I can't!"

And during her rant, Bulma never noticed Oolong slinking off.

"Well, why don't you just have Oolong change into a motorbike and then ride him out of here?" Goku said reasonably.

"Oh, that's a great idea, Goku!" Bulma shouted. "I'm glad I thought of it!"

And now Kaede glared up at Bulma ferociously, surprising the blue-haired girl with her intensity.

"You did NOT think of that," she hissed. "Don't lie. Apologize to Goku NOW."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Bulma muttered.

"_Why bother with them at all?_" a voice purred softly. "_Just kill them both and escape into the wilderness. You don't need these two. All you need is me. I will help you on the path to your destiny. With me_,_ you can kill every last one of these hornless apes_,_ and make the world safe forever for our kind! Make them _all_ pay for what they've done to us!_"

Kaede blinked, grabbing her head with her hands.

"No, stop it!" she whimpered.

"Hey, Kaede, what's the matter?" Goku asked, hovering closer.

"Yeah, you kind of spaced there for a minute," Bulma said.

Kaede looked up, panic written across her face. _I-I can't tell them I'm hearing voices!_ she thought desperately. _They'll abandon me!_

"N-No, I'm fine," Kaede said, very unconvincingly.

"Are you sure?" Goku said. "You seemed really upset for some reason."

"I said I'm fine!" Kaede snapped. "Let's just drop it!"

"_Kill him_," the voice hissed softly, like the sibilance of a menacing snake. "_Make the monkey pay._"

_No_,_ I won't!_ Kaede screamed inside her head. _Leave me alone!_

"O-Okay, if you say so," Goku said uneasily.

Kaede felt bad for snapping at him, but she couldn't think of anything she could say that wouldn't make the situation even worse.

"We've wasted enough time," Bulma said impatiently. "We've got to find the rest of those Dragon Ball!" And Bulma turned her head around to face Oolong, smiling very sweetly, and very falsely. "Hey, Oolong, dear?"

But Oolong was nowhere to be seen. Bulma screamed again. "He ditched us!"

"Don't worry, Bulma!" Goku declared. "I'll go get him!"

And Goku flew off on the Nimbus. They heard him yelling as he flew over the forest.

"Hey Oolong, where are you?" he yelled. "Come out, come out, wherever you are! You can't hide forever!" With no response from the wayward pig, Goku changed tactics. "Hey, oh, Oolong! If you come out, I'll give you a nice, juicy pail of slop!"

Goku sped back to them on the Flying Nimbus.

"There's no sign of him anywhere, guys," Bulma informed them.

Bulma growled. "Oh, I knew I couldn't trust him!" she gritted. "Piggy, piggy, piggy, piggy! Piggy, piggy, piggy!"

"What are you doing, Bulma?" Kaede asked the blue-haired girl.

Bulma wasn't paying attention to her and continued with her weird chanting.

"Piggy, piggy! Piggy, piggy!" she shouted. "Piggy, piggy, piggy!"

"I'm so lost," Kaede muttered.

"Don't worry, you're not the only one," Goku reassured her.

And from far off in the forest, they heard Oolong cry with discomfort.

"Hey, hey, Oolong!" Bulma called. "What's wrong, little piggy? You know that vitamin I gave you? It's really a pill that makes you have to go to the bathroom any time that somebody makes the piggy sound! You're not going anywhere!" Bulma laughed, sounding very devious as she did. "Ha, I guess I've got you under my power now, little piggy!"

Goku's reaction to this was most surprising. The tailed boy whipped out his Power Pole, held it down in a threatening position, then he flew back with it while twirling it in his grip. He landed swiftly on the grass and held it in front of him defensively.

"Kaede, get away from her!" Goku cried.

Kaede blinked. "What?" she said.

"What's with you?" Bulma demanded, intrigued.

"You're a witch!" Goku accused. "You cast a spell on Oolong! Admit it!"

"Oh Goku, don't be so naïve," Bulma scoffed. "If I were a witch, I wouldn't need the Dragon Balls to grant my wishes."

Goku dropped his defense posture. "Yeah, I guess you've got a good point," he admitted. "Sorry, Bulma."

"But what if witches did exist, Goku?" Kaede asked, scared inside. "Would you hate them just because they can use magic?"

_If he hates witches so much_,_ what will he think about the voice I hear?_ Kaede wondered.

"_He'll turn on you_,_ my dear_," the voice whispered, burrowing like broken glass into her mind. "_It's inevitable. Someday_,_ they'll all turn on you. They just don't understand you. None of their kind does._"

_Shut up_,_ shut up_,_ SHUT UP!_ Kaede told the voice.

"Magic should only be used to help people," Goku said simply. "If they use their magic to help others, then I wouldn't mind it."

"Oh, okay," Kaede said, feeling a little relieved.

"_It's inevitable_," the voice hissed.

"Cheap shot!" Oolong complained as he emerged from the foliage. "Lucky for me I brought some toilet paper along."

Bulma folded her arms over her chest.

"So I trust my little pill will keep you in line?" Bulma asked haughtily.

"Yeah," Oolong griped, sounding unhappy about it. "Yeah, I'll be in line, to get into the bathroom, that's for sure."

Goku walked up to him. "I'll bet this kind of stuff wouldn't happen if you acted nicer."

"I can still take you, kid!" Oolong declared, raising his fists.

"Oh?" Goku said. "Piggy, piggy, piggy! Piggy!"

And Oolong ran off into the bushes as Goku laughed uproariously.

"Goku, I-I don't think that's very nice," Kaede said sheepishly.

"But it's the only way to teach cowards like Oolong a little lesson," Bulma said.

Kaede shook her head. "But you're being a bully! I hate bullies. People who torment others to make up for their own pain."

Bulma looked abruptly ashamed. "Oh, that's right, I forgot. You had some serious problems with bullies back at the orphanage, huh?"

Kaede merely nodded. She didn't want to talk about it.

"Well, tell you what, kid," Bulma said thoughtfully. "We won't abuse it. I'll only use it when Oolong tries to escape, deal?"

Kaede sighed. "All right, if you say so," she said. "I-I suppose that's fair."

Once Oolong was done, Bulma stepped forward.

"Well, I need my motorcycle now, Oolong," she said impatiently.

"You lazy broad," Oolong growled, then transformed into a machine that looked more like a scooter than a motorbike.

"Huh?" Bulma sweatdropped. "Hey, this isn't exactly what I had in mind, Oolong."

"Me either, toots," Oolong shot back.

"Oh well, let's go," Bulma shrugged before hopping onto the seat.

However, no sooner had she done that than Oolong collapsed under the weight of his rider.

"Can't you do anything right?" Bulma said angrily. "What do we do now, pork chop?"

"Look, you Amazon, do you think it's fun being squashed to the ground by a horse like you?" Oolong retorted.

With that, he changed back into his regular form.

"So that's the thanks I get," Oolong said, sounding very, _very_ disgruntled. He glared up at Bulma. "What's the use anyway?" the pig sighed. "I can only hold a new shape for five minutes, then poof!"

Bulma looked horrified.

"Oh, so that's why Goku was able to catch you!" Kaede remarked.

Oolong nodded. "Yup, you got that right, kid," he said. Then he adopted a very smug smirk. "People think shape-changing makes you stronger than you really are, but it don't. I couldn't carry you out of here if I wanted to. But I've got another idea."

He jumped up and in a puff of smoke turned into a pair of frilly pink panties.

"Here, how's this, Kaede?" Oolong grinned, sounding like he was literally drooling right now. "You lost your panties, so how about you put me on and then only three of us has to walk! Plus I'll keep you nice and warm!"

Kaede clutched her hand to her chest, looking VERY uncomfortable, before Bulma swiped at Oolong with the force of a Mack truck.

"YOU PERVERT!" she screamed. "TAKE THIS!"

Oolong slammed into the ground, reverting back to normal and looking very dazed.

"Next time, maybe you should try being her hat," Goku told the pig optimistically.

"Well, now what do we do?" Bulma sighed.

"Can't we ride on the Nimbus?" Kaede said. "You can't ride on it, and Oolong can't, but Goku and I can. Can't we just carry you?"

Bulma shook her head. "No go, kid," she said, depressed. "There's simply not enough room for all of us on that."

"Then it looks like we're walking," Kaede said, resigned.

"Hm, okay," Goku said, jumping down off the Nimbus, which sped off into the distance.

And hours later, they could be found trudging their weary, tired, abdominally aching bodies through an endless desert, which the forest had eventually opened onto. The only one who seemed to be having an easy time on their trek was Goku.

The sun beat down on the group mercilessly, and around midday, Kaede, Oolong, and Bulma's tongues were hanging from their mouths. Bulma was clutching feebly at a large tree branch she found as they traveled deeper and deeper into the blazing hot wasteland.

Goku looked back in frustration. "I gave up riding my cloud to walk with you guys, now try and keep up," he complained.

"Goku, this walk is killing me," Kaede whimpered. "I think I'm going to die out here."

"You're not going to die, Kaede," Goku comforted her. "We just gotta keep moving."

"Easy for you to say, you're not a city kid, Goku!" Bulma groaned. "You're used to the wilderness, but I'm not. I should be pampered. My God, just look. What a desolate place this is. There's no water, food, and shelter anywhere! And this heat is unbearable!"

"Yeah, something's not right," Oolong said. "I keep getting the feeling we're being watched. It's giving me the creeps."

"Who else would want to come all the way out here?" Kaede said reasonably.

Bulma fell to the ground. "I can't stand this!" she moaned. "I'm going crazy!"

"Are you just going to give up?" Goku asked the blue-haired girl.

"No," Bulma said. "Yes," she added just as quickly. "Maybe. I don't know!" And with that, Bulma began kicking and flailing while scooting backward. "I want a bath! I need air conditioning! I don't want to be stranded in the desert without a boyfriend or my Dyno Caps!"

And her scoot had taken her under the shade of a rocky overhang.

"Her passion for self-centeredness inspires even me," Oolong remarked dryly.

"You sure are strange, Oolong," Goku said.

"To be fair, I think you're strange too," Kaede said, but then she smiled. "But I also think you're very interesting as well."

"Oh, well, thanks, Kaede!" Goku told the horned girl. "I think you're interesting too!"

Under the overhang, Bulma sighed. "Ah, shade. Nap time."

"I say we just let her rest for a while," Goku observed.

"Suits me just fine, kid," Oolong said carelessly.

And Kaede, Oolong, and Goku flopped down to the rough sand. Goku grabbed his stomach with his hands.

"I sure am hungry," Goku said.

"Oh, that's right, you never ate earlier, did you?" Kaede said.

"That's right," Goku moaned, sounding rather pathetic.

"Well, I'm sure we can find something," Kaede assured him.

Off in the distance, a tiny little blue cat was spying on them through a telescope.

"Victims!" she cried eagerly, then floated back inside the overhang she'd been looking out from.

She entered a small hideout that had been built inside the rocky structure, complete with furnishings and styled very appropriately as somebody's home. The little cat floated over to a man with wild, jet black hair that looked as though it had never been groomed. The man was wearing orange and green clothes, and stamped right across his chest was a very prominent Japanese symbol.

"Yamcha!" the little feline cried. "Yamcha! Victims!"

The man known as Yamcha put down the cup he'd been sipping from and smiled deviously. "Well, it's about time," he said.

He got up from the table and made his way outside to get a closer view of Kaede, Oolong, and Goku himself.

"We've had quite a dry spell since we hijacked that caravan, haven't we, Puar?" Yamcha told his trusty partner.

"They're right down there, Yamcha!" Puar squealed. "Can you see them? Can you see them?"

"Only three of them?" Yamcha scoffed. "No problem."

Back with the group, Oolong was rubbing his stomach. "I'm starving over here."

"Come to think of it, I haven't eaten anything in a while either," Kaede shared with them.

Goku stood up. "I'm going to get us some food!" he announced, then he turned back to them. "Do you like bacon?"

Kaede almost slapped her forehead at the completely tactless comment.

Oolong jumped right up into Goku's face. "What are you, brain-dead?" he yelled heatedly.

However, a dust cloud on the horizon suddenly grabbed their attention, as well as a high-pitched whine, like the sound of an engine. It was clear that something was heading right for the three of them.

"I think I hear something," Oolong noted.

"Yeah, it sounds like a motor," Kaede put forth.

The dust cloud grew larger and larger.

"What is it?" Goku inquired.

"It ain't no camel," Oolong said matter-of-factly.

"It's a vehicle!" Kaede suddenly exclaimed.

"Hey, she's right!" Goku said. "There's someone riding on it!"

The airbike pulled closer, and the man astride it instantly stepped down.

The cat accompanying him flew closer to the man's head and whispered urgently, "Yamcha, there's a girl with them! You know you always have problems dealing with very pretty girls! Do you really think it's wise to hold these three up?"

"Relax, Puar," Yamcha said smoothly. "It's only women my age that scare me. I don't have a problem with little girls like this."

"Well, that's a relief," Puar breathed.

"Greetings," Yamcha announced in a loud, carrying voice the three would surely hear. He clutched at the sword sheathed in its scabbard, hanging by his side. "I am Yamcha. I am the master of the land you trespass upon."

"We're... sorry," Kaede said. "We didn't know."

"Sorry isn't good enough!" Puar commented, popping out from behind Yamcha's leg.

"But never worry," Yamcha said calmly, gesturing to the broad expanse of endless desert stretching out behind him. "You needn't fear me. Just hand over your money and any spare Dyno Caps you may have and I will let you pass in peace."

"You're Puar!" Oolong burst out, pointing at the little feline next to Yamcha. "We went to shapeshifting academy together!"

"You know these two, Oolong?" Kaede said curiously.

"Just the useless cat," Oolong snorted.

"I remember you!" Puar cried, gesticulating wildly and angrily at Oolong. "You were nothing but a loudmouth bully. He always picked on me, and stole all my lunch money, because I was smaller than him!"

Kaede suddenly shot a disgusted look at Oolong. _So_,_ he's a bully too? He's just like the rest of them!_

"I'd say the tables have turned, my friend," Yamcha said. "How does it feel to face someone bigger than yourself, little piglet?"

Oolong dived behind Goku's back. "This guy looks pretty tough, kid. You think you can take him?"

"It's just like in the old days!" Puar said. "The swine still hides behind someone whenever he's afraid!"

"Not much courage, huh?" Yamcha observed.

"That's right," Puar said, shaking her head. "Not a single ounce of courage in that porker!"

Oolong stuck his tongue out behind Goku.

"Puar, if I ever get my hands on you..." Oolong growled.

"Sounds like you haven't changed much over the years, Oolong," Goku said.

"Yes, he's just a bully," Kaede said in a low, menacing voice. "And I hate bullies."

"Okay, enough talk," Yamcha said with a bright gleam in his eyes. "Either hand over your goods or prepare to fight me."

"Just how strong are you, Goku?" Oolong asked.

"I'm super strong," Goku said easily.

Oolong pointed right at Yamcha. "All right, big shot, the bigger you are, the harder you fall! You may think you're looking at an easy haul, but my man here will slap you two silly before it's all said and done!"

Yamcha began unsheathing his sword. It looked very sharp in the sunlight.

"Goku, please, don't do this," Kaede pleaded. "Maybe we should just give him what he wants."

"Yes, listen to the girl," Yamcha said. "She's the one with a brain."

"Uh, don't do what, Kaede?" Goku asked innocently.

"Haven't you been listening, kid?" Oolong said angrily. "The sword isn't made out of rubber, you know. He plans to kill us!"

Goku turned to face Yamcha resolutely. "I don't want to fight you, but if I have to defend my friends, I will."

"Then prepare to defend yourself," Yamcha intoned.

"Just one second," Oolong said, rushing over to the same rocky overhang Bulma was sleeping under. "Okay, destroy him!"

"Goku, no, please, please don't do this," Kaede begged desperately. "I don't want you to die."

"Don't worry, Kaede, he's just a big bully!" Goku declared. "I'm going to stop him!"

"I admire your bravery, kid," Yamcha said gravely.

"His bravery or his stupidity?" Oolong asked himself softly.

He heard snoring behind him and turned around to see.

"Geez, I thought it was an earthquake," he snorted.

Yamcha threw his sheath into the air. Goku watched it for a few seconds. As Yamcha charged directly at Goku, intent on finishing this battle with a single decisive blow, Puar was able to easily catch the discarded scabbard.

Yamcha aimed a downward slash at Goku, but the boy easily jumped over the strike, landed on Yamcha's right shoulder, and hopped off.

Yamcha charged at Goku once again, bringing his sword down in a vertical slash, but Goku leaped away, and Yamcha stopped only mere inches from delivering a fatal blow to his trusted companion, Puar. Yamcha ran after Goku while Puar collapsed with relief.

"Goku, please be careful!" Kaede urged desperately.

Yamcha slashed at Goku again, but Goku jumped up again, and whipped out his Power Pole. He brought the pole down on Yamcha's sword, which the bandit used to parry the incoming blow. The two leaped back a few feet away from one another.

"Power Pole extend!" Goku shouted.

The pole did as commanded, and shot forward, slamming into Yamcha's stomach and knocking the wind from him as it pushed him further and further back. Puar and Kaede watched in amazement.

"Wow, I didn't know Goku could do that!" Kaede said in awe.

"Unbelievable!" Puar said.

"Believe it!" Oolong stated confidently. "The kid's winning this one, isn't he?"

Yamcha ambled back over to them, clutching his stomach.

"You have great power for such a little one, don't you?" he gasped out.

"Thank you," Goku said, wagging his tail. "My grandpa trained me."

Yamcha eyed the Power Pole with renewed interest.

"Ah, the pole," he remarked thoughtfully. "I thought I recognized it from somewhere. Yes, the extending Power Pole. There's only one man in the entire world could've possibly given that to you. Tell me, who is this grandfather of yours?"

"His name was Gohan, and he died a long time ago," Goku said sadly.

Kaede blinked. _I didn't know that_, she thought. _Goku... he doesn't have anyone either_,_ does he? He's all alone... like me._

"I knew of him," Yamcha said with grudging respect. "But even with your magic pole and all that he may have taught you, I am afraid that you are still no match for me. I will have that pole's power. Give it to me or prepare to fight to the death!"

"Uh-oh, we're lunch meant now," Oolong groaned.

Goku put his hand over his stomach. "I'm starving," he moaned.

While he was distracted, Yamcha took on a very distinct pose.

"You're not the only with special powers, kid!" he said. "Watch this!"

And he ran directly for Goku. For one brief second, Kaede could swear she was seeing a charging wolf.

"GOKU, WATCH OUT!" Kaede yelled.

"Huh?" Goku said, looking up.

"Wolf Fang Fist!" the bandit cried, delivering a ruthless kick to the tailed boy.

With that, he got up close and began beating on him. For every blow that Goku suffered, Kaede felt her heart splinter in two. Her eyes grew very wide, and when Yamcha smacked Goku through a giant boulder, burying him in a pile of rubble, tears began forming in her eyes.

"GOKU!" she cried.

_No_,_ it can't be true!_ she thought. _It just can't!_

She fell to her knees, blinded by the pain.

"No, Goku..." she whispered, the tears threatening to completely overwhelm her as she lowered her head in despair. "No, Goku. This can't be happening. You can't be dead, y-you just can't be. No..."

For a few seconds, she was silent, then she opened her mouth and let loose a primal scream of pain and hatred.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

And from her body emerged smoky, see-through hands that flew through the air towards Yamcha.

The desert bandit, alerted by her agonized screams, saw them barreling down on him and quickly dodged out of the way. The hands instantly slammed into the ground beneath him and dug out a huge chunk of earth.

"What?" he said. "What's this? Are you a fighter too, girl?"

She stood back up, and her eyes had gone narrow and cold. The look in them was enough to unnerve even the hardened bandit.

"You... you killed Goku," she uttered in low, silky voice that sounded like the the angel of death. "I won't let you get away with this."

"_Yes_,_ make him pay_," the voice whispered. "_Bring suffering to him and the rest of his filthy_,_ dirt-blooded kind!_"

She had no idea what was happening to her, but if it meant avenging Goku's death and making Yamcha pay, she welcomed it.

Without saying a word, Kaede's vectors flew toward Yamcha again, who dodged only barely.

"You're stronger than I thought, but if I must, I WILL take you down!" Yamcha declared fiercely. "Your hands won't stop me!"

She said nothing, merely glared at him coldly.

"Wow, this is unreal!" Oolong gulped nervously. "What the hell is happening here? Goku's down for the count, and now this chick's going to take Yamcha all by herself!" He grabbed at his collar, as though he was suddenly feeling hot. "And yet, something about this is making me sweat like a pig. Why do I get the feeling this is just the beginning to something much worse?"

With a battle cry, Yamcha charged at Kaede, sword drawn, but the young girl just wrapped her vectors around the tips of his arms and his legs. The bandit had no time to react as she lifted Yamcha up into the air.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" he said.

"Oh my goodness, Yamcha!" Puar cried in concern for her friend.

Kaede said nothing, merely glaring at him, her eyes infinite depths of ruby ice.

"You, and all the rest of your kind, will _pay_ for what you've done to me," she growled in a soft hiss.

And with that, she brought the desert bandit down into the hard, unforgiving ground. A cloud of dust obscured the battlefield, blocking everyone from getting a clear glance at what had befallen Yamcha.

"Oh no!" Puar cried. "This is bad! Yamcha!"

As soon as the dust cloud had cleared, Yamcha could be seen standing, holding his sides. Without a word, Kaede advanced on him, walking slowly across the hot sandy floor, her gait uneven and lazy.

"You... who are you?" Yamcha asked. "How on Earth can you have this kind of power?"

Kaede said nothing, continuing her march towards Yamcha.

Seeing a direct attack was useless against her, Yamcha opted for another tactic instead. Suddenly, without warning, he threw his sword at her. Steel blade flashed as it curved in a spiraling arc towards the pink-haired girl, but before it could even reach her, she just grabbed it with her vectors, and effortlessly, almost lazily tossed it to the side.

While she was doing that, Yamcha charged at her with a scream. Kaede focused the vectors she wasn't currently using on deflecting the sword towards the oncoming bandit, but there were too few of them now to mount an effective wall of defense.

He dodged the vectors, and moved in close to her. He delivered a solid punch to the girl's cheek, sending her flying across the sandy soil.

"Oh no, we're in trouble now!" Oolong said from the sidelines.

Before she could hit the ground, Kaede used her vectors to right herself in midair, and she landed without a problem. However, Yamcha was literally seconds away from hitting her. Instinctively Kaede threw out her vectors and knocked him away from her.

The desert bandit flew onto his back.

Kaede walked up to him, her vectors snaking around her like ghostly halos.

"Now you see," she whispered, "how utterly foolish it is to stand against me. You're no match for my vectors."

Before Yamcha could do anything, Kaede latched onto his neck with her vectors and dragged him upright, flailing into the air. Yamcha tried to hit the vectors, but his own fist just passed right through them. He gasped as Kaede squeezed hard using her vectors, crushing his neck in their grasp. His legs kicked out wildly from underneath him, but there was nothing he could do.

"Oh no!" Puar cried. "She's gonna kill Yamcha! I've got to do something!"

Kaede lifted Yamcha further into the air, applying more and more pressure to her vectors.

"What... the hell... are you?" Yamcha demanded weakly.

Kaede's eyes flashed.

"I am the Queen," she purred, "I am the one who will remake this world in a new image. MY image. All hornless apes like you shall soon suffer this fate, and the world will be home to a new, superior race!"

Out of nowhere, Puar came flying straight at Kaede, but she simply used one of her vectors to knock the tiny feline away. She bounced off the edge of a boulder and fell to the ground, looking stunned. There were little Xs swirling in her eyes.

"Pu... ar..." Yamcha gasped, rapidly losing his ability to remain conscious.

Kaede lifted him higher, and then, surprisingly, she let him go, although just as quickly grabbed his hands and feet. She then started twisting them into odd positions, turning them at every angle Kaede could think of.

Yamcha soon began screaming from the pain.

"What's the matter?" Kaede mocked. "Feeling a little tight, is it?"

"Man, this is harsh, even for a guy like him," Oolong muttered. "This chick has totally lost it!"

He kept screaming as Kaede bent his joints, stretched out his vital limbs, and generally kept torturing him.

"Perhaps I should... take your feline from you?" she said with a slow, casual menace in her voice. "And then you'll see what I feel."

Yamcha's eyes opened as wide as saucers as his brain registered what she had just said.

"You... you stay away from Puar," Yamcha gritted through the pain.

That earned him yet another twisting from Kaede. He screamed at the almost unbearable agony. The horned girl just smirked.

"Your suffering will only increase," she stated softly. "I will always savor this moment, watching as your muscles begin to pop and tear until finally, I decide to rid you of your limbs altogether. You shall serve as the example of all who decide to cross me."

And she applied ever increasing pressure to Yamcha's limbs, which bent out at weird and funny angles. He kept on screaming, wriggling desperately in her grip, but of course, there was no escape for him.

After a few minutes had passed, Kaede finally grew tired of toying with her prey and decided to just rip off his limbs.

However, a new voice caused her to stop cold in her tracks. "Kaede?"

Freezing completely, Kaede turned her head around tentatively, daring to hope...

Goku was standing there, blinking in confusion at what he was seeing here.

"Um, how are you doing that?" Goku said. "What's up with those hands?"

"Goku," Kaede whispered in disbelief. "GOKU! YOU'RE ALIVE!"

Instantly forgetting all about Yamcha, Kaede dropped him to the ground and ran at Goku, throwing her arms around him and breaking down sobbing in his chest. Goku looked shocked at Kaede's strange behavior.

"O-O-Oh, Goku," she sobbed. "I-I-I thought y-y-you w-were d-d-dead..."

"Oh, hey, come on, you know me better than that," Goku laughed. "It takes a lot more than that to kill me."

Goku gently removed her from him and placed his hands on her shoulders reassuringly. Hesitantly, Kaede smiled.

"But seriously, what was up with those arms?" Goku asked curiously.

Kaede blinked, suddenly feeling ashamed of her loss of control.

_What happened to me?_ she wondered.

Before she could say anything further, however, another voice spoke up, this one sounding really mad. "I've had it with you two!"

Looking back, Goku and Kaede saw Yamcha was getting to his feet, limping a little as he did so, but otherwise looking unharmed.

"I don't care what it takes now, I swear to you, I just want the two of you DEAD!" Yamcha growled.

And with a feral roar, Yamcha took off charging at the two of them again.

"So hungry," Goku whined, holding his stomach pathetically.

Yamcha barreled down on them, fists raised and eyes screaming for blood. At the last second, Kaede pushed the distracted Goku out of the way and Yamcha's blows began landing all on her. For a few minutes, the entire world was pain and a spinning, blurry kaleidoscope.

"Hey, stop that!" Goku shouted. "Leave her alone!"

With one final savage kick, Kaede was sent crashing into the ground, reeling from pain and unable to move.

"You're next, kid!" Yamcha declared, and took off running at Goku again.

Suddenly, however, Bulma woke up, rubbing her hands at her sleep crusted eyes.

"Gee whiz, you guys," she moaned. "What's all that screaming about?"

Yamcha instantly froze upon hearing the sound of her voice and got his first real good look at the blue-haired beauty. For a single instant, Yamcha and Bulma's eyes locked onto one another. Finally, Yamcha just collapsed in an undignified heap.

Puar came bounding over, sporting a serious bruise on her left eye.

"Yamcha, Yamcha, are you okay?" she asked her friend.

"They've got an older woman with them too!" Yamcha grunted heatedly. "Damn it! It looks as though we won't be avenging ourselves this day, my furry little feline friend. Come on, let's get out of here!"

And Yamcha and his partner took off on the airbike.

"Well, I guess we put them on the run, didn't we?" Oolong said happily.

"Hey, you guys, who was that hunk?" Bulma asked, completely oblivious to the fierce battle her friends had all undergone. "He was absolutely dreamy. Now THAT'S the kind of guy I'm searching for, Oolong!"

Oolong frowned.

Goku, his stomach growling, walked weakly over to Kaede and knelt down next to her.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked in concern. "Kaede, are you hurt?"

Wincing in pain, Kaede rose to a sitting position.

"I think I'll be okay," she said.

"Well, I'm just glad you'll be all right," the tailed boy said in relief.

Kaede looked at the boy, the tears quivering in her eyes.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Goku asked naïvely.

And Kaede reached forward and hugged him again, placing her head on his shoulder and holding him tightly, as though afraid he was going to vanish from her view. After a few seconds looking confused, Goku reluctantly hugged her back, and in that instant, words were no longer necessary between them.

Back at a certain bandit's hideout...

"Ugh, that was pathetic!" Yamcha yelled, slamming his fists on the tabletop. "We couldn't even defeat those two bratty little kids. Not to mention that older girl." He growled. "The final insult to my dignity. Warriors being toppled by a girl is humiliating!"

"Don't worry, Yamcha, we'll get them next time!" Puar vowed.

"Yeah, you're right about that," Yamcha declared, looking up with fierce determination blazing in his eyes. "We will avenge our loss at their hands, my friend. Those fools have NOT heard the last of me yet!"

_It seems as though Yamcha has set his sights on taking revenge on our heroes_,_ but can they manage to hold this new formidable opponent at bay long enough to collect all seven magical Dragon Balls? Find out next time_,_ on Dragon Ball: A New Beginning!_

* * *

Whew, another chapter finally done. Definitely my longest one yet. This ran over 30 pages on Microsoft Word. Don't know when the next update will come, so just enjoy for now. Oh, and I tried finding some of the original Dragon Ball episodes online, but I couldn't find them anywhere. Does anyone recommend any good sites? Otherwise, I am afraid I'll have to write the majority of the Dragon Ball parts of ANB from the English dubbed episodes.

BTW, can anyone spot the references? They're very subtle. I'll give you a hint: There are three specifically dedicated to _Shakugan no Shana_, _Star Wars_, and _Yu Yu Hakusho_.

Many thanks to LSSJ2 Gohan for his help on this chapter. You rule, dude!

As always, please review!


	4. Keep an Eye on the Dragon Balls

Dragon Ball: A New Beginning

CHAPTER 4: Keep an Eye on the Dragon Balls

_Last time_,_ on Dragon Ball: A New Beginning_,_ our four heroes found themselves stranded in the desert with no way out. Unknown to them_,_ their troubles were only just beginning as Yamcha_,_ the desert bandit_,_ appeared before them with his ultimatum — hand over their valuables_,_ or prepare to fight to death. First Goku fought the unrelenting bandit_,_ but after experiencing defeat_,_ it was Kaede's turn to step up_,_ now with strange arms to help her out. During the course of the savage battle_,_ Kaede lost herself to an internal voice that took possession of her_,_ but with Goku making a second comeback_,_ and Yamcha running away at the sight of Bulma_,_ can she survive the trials that are to come_,_ or will the mysterious voice be Kaede's undoing? Find out today on Dragon Ball: A New Beginning!_

In Yamcha's hideout, Puar was pouring her master a cup of tea. Yamcha took a sip, then laid it down.

"Let's get going, Puar," he said. "We can't let those four slip through our fingers."

"But remember how easily they defeated you last time?" Puar said. "Also, what about the girl? You'll never get anywhere near her."

"Leave that to me," Yamcha reassured his trusty partner. "I've got a plan."

Meanwhile, our heroes had retired into a double-decker camper.

"So why didn't you tell us before that you had this camper Dyno Cap, Oolong?" Bulma complained. "Hm?"

"Oh, come on, like you've never forgotten something once in your life, have you, your royal highness?" Oolong said sarcastically.

"I think I would've remembered it if it had been me," Kaede told the pig seriously.

"Yeah, well, that's you, sweetheart," Oolong scoffed.

"So, what were those arms again, Kaede?" Goku asked curiously. "They looked strong. I've never seen anything like them."

As he said this, he kept on chowing down at an unnatural pace.

"Kid, watch yourself," Oolong warned. "You're gonna choke."

"I must admit, I'm curious about these 'arms' of yours too, Kaede," Bulma added.

Kaede tensed up fearfully. "I don't know what they were," she explained. "I... I've never done anything like that before. I was just so upset that I lost control. I don't know what came over me, but it was something I've never experienced in my whole life."

"_You know perfectly well what it was_," the voice purred. "_Just give in_,_ and together_,_ we can destroy all who oppose us!_"

"Well, whatever it was, it was pretty creepy," Oolong commented, then gave Kaede a hard look. "You called them vectors."

_Is that what those arms are?_ Kaede thought. _Vectors?_ She trembled a little in memory. _I never want to lose control like that again._

"_All you have to do is give in completely_,_ and we can bring pain and suffering to all those who hurt us_," the voice hissed softly.

_No!_ Kaede thought, shutting her eyes tightly. _Shut up! Please go away and just leave me alone!_

"Oh come on, Oolong, leave the poor girl alone," Bulma said. "If she doesn't know what happened, then we shouldn't bother her."

"Fine, have it your way, toots," Oolong said darkly.

Bulma sighed. "I hope I see Yamcha again," she said wistfully. "He was so shy and so handsome."

"But he tried to kill us all!" Kaede protested. "And he almost did kill Goku!"

"Kid, that ain't gonna work," Oolong told the horned girl scornfully. "She's head over heels for the guy now, no matter what he did to us. Not even a crowbar can pierce through that thick skull of hers now."

As he said this, Bulma reached up and slammed Oolong on the head.

"Ow!" Oolong grunted. "Hey, what's the deal?"

"That's none of your business!" Bulma yelled. "If you want, I can make the piggy sound! That'll shut you up real quick!"

Oolong glared balefully at Bulma, but said nothing else on the matter.

"Does this place have a tub?" Bulma asked.

Oolong got off one good glare, then pointed. "Yeah, right in there."

Bulma entered along with Oolong. Bulma flipped the lights on.

"To tell you the truth, I'm used to much nicer accommodations," Bulma said critically.

"Then why don't you try a luxury hotel down the road?" Oolong said angrily. "I'm sure there are lots of them out here in the desert!"

"It's just that it's so small," Bulma observed.

"Well, it ain't no palace, but I don't see any royalty around either, get it?" Oolong grated.

Without replying, Bulma moved over to the showerhead and began inspecting it.

"_Now_ what are you looking for?" Oolong demanded.

"Peepholes," Bulma said simply.

"Hey, what kind of a joint do you think I'm running here?" Oolong said heatedly.

"Well, I wouldn't put it past you, you little pervert," Bulma snorted, stepping out of the room.

Oolong smirked darkly. _I'll let you win the battle_,_ sister_,_ but I'm gonna win the war_, he thought confidently.

Back in the sitting room, Kaede was watching Goku while not eating anything herself.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" Goku asked Kaede. "It's really good!"

"No, thanks, I'm not hungry," Kaede said, her eyes shimmering with suppressed emotion.

"Uh, hey, is there something wrong with your eyes?" Goku asked innocently.

"Uh, no, not at all," Kaede insisted. "It's just..." At this, Kaede hung her head. "Well, I was scared today, Goku. I thought I lost you."

"Aw, hey, you don't have anything to be scared of, Kaede," Goku told the horned girl seriously.

"No, it is a scary thought," Kaede said. "I-I've never really had anybody care for me the way you do, not since Asia left, and... I-I just don't want to lose that. Not now, not ever. I-I don't really know what would happen to me if I did."

"_You're alone because no one cares about you_," the voice urged, slinking its way deep inside her brain, burrowing into the subconscious of her mind. "_The monkey boy can't — and will not — care about you forever_,_ not when he learns about me._"

_I-I don't believe that!_ Kaede said desperately in her mind. _I can't!_

"_Just keep telling yourself that_,_ my dear_," the sinister voice said. "_We'll see how long it lasts._"

"Well, you don't have to worry, Kaede," Goku said cheerfully. "We're friends, and I promise I'll be your friend forever."

"Do you really mean that, Goku?" Kaede asked, looking back up.

"Yeah!" Goku said. "So, will you cheer up now, Kaede?"

Kaede blinked, then finally, a smile lit up her face. "Sure thing."

"Now are you sure you don't want something to eat?" Goku asked her.

"You know, I think I am a little hungry," the pink-haired girl said.

"That's the spirit!" Goku said as Kaede started eating.

Meanwhile, outside, atop one of the nearby rock formations, a shadowy figure stood on it, with the wind blowing at its back. Without uttering a single word, the figure took out a tiny radio and brought it up to its mouth.

"Agent Green, this is Headquarters, come in, Agent Green," a voice on the other end of the line said.

"This is Agent Green reporting," the shadowy figure said. "I'm within sixty meters of the target now."

There was silence for a few moments, and then the voice spoke again.

"Copy that, Agent Green," the voice on the end of the line replied. "Your mission now is just to obtain a genetic sample from the target. Remember, a simple hair or skin sample is sufficient for our cause. And if possible, we want you to do so without alerting the target and her companions to your presence or the specifics of your mission."

"Right," Agent Green said softly. "Consider it done, Commander."

"Very well," the Commander said. "Over and out."

As Agent Green jumped down from the rock pillar and snuck into the shadows of the night, a fair distance away two jumping robotic mechas leaped towards the camper where our heroes were relaxing. The two mechas hid behind one of the rock formations.

A beeping sound could be heard from inside the mechas and then, a feminine voice spoke.

"Emperor, spy pods are now in position," she said. "We're ready to put Operation Desert Dragon Bomb into effect, over."

"Good," an impish, grating voice spoke from the other end. "Proceed as planned, Agent Mai. Base out."

The two pods popped open, and a tall, dark-haired woman and a small wolfish creature leaped down.

"Let's go," the woman said, and the two took off for the camper.

Pausing only to spare a quick glance in both directions, the two then took off towards the camper, stopping right next to it. Mai's companion pulled out a small boxy device and pressed a button on it, arming it.

"It's set to go off in four minutes," he reported.

He turned the bomb over, and pulled off the strip of paper on the back. While he was busy attaching it to the bottom of the camper, off in the near distance, Mai noticed two forms stalking in the shadows.

"Shu, somebody's out there!" Mai snapped. "Let's get out of here."

"Mai, I think we have a problem," Shu said hesitantly. "The bomb is stuck to my hand."

Mai's eyes bulged out. "This isn't good, Shu!" she said nervously.

"What should I do?" Shu asked, even more nervous.

"You better wait here," Mai said, weighing their options. "I'll go get help."

And with that, she ran off. Shu took off after her.

"Hey, wait for me!" he cried.

They snuck out of sight just in time as Yamcha and Puar came up to get a good view of the camper right in front of them.

"A double-decker camper," Yamcha noted. "I'll bet we can get a decent price for a rig like that."

"But what about those kids?" Puar asked. "And the girl, remember?"

"Easy," Yamcha said. "All we have to do is find a way to lure her outside for a few minutes, and then I can sneak attack those two kids. Then once they're down, we take what we can and rob them blind!"

Yamcha began laughing, causing Puar to shake her head.

"You're starting to scare me," the cat sighed.

In the camper, Oolong was talking to Kaede and Goku.

"So, do you two really think we're safe out here?" the pig asked. "I mean, it seems a little exposed to me."

"Don't worry!" Goku said optimistically. "The worst thing that can happen to us is they take our stuff."

"That's it, huh?" Oolong said haughtily. "Well, I don't know if you two've noticed, but I'm packing some serious cargo here. Rigs like this don't come cheap, you know." He snorted in derision. "You two aren't that concerned because you don't have anything worth stealing."

"That's not true!" Kaede objected. "We have two very precious items that mean a lot to us."

"Yeah, Kaede's right," Goku added.

"What could you two have that's possibly worth anything?" Oolong demanded skeptically.

"Our Dragon Balls," Kaede responded solemnly.

"Dragon Balls?" Oolong repeated. "What the hell did you just say? The dragon's _what_?"

"What do you mean?" Goku asked innocently, tilting his head.

"Oh!" Kaede said, getting the connection. "Oh, no, we don't mean _those_ kind of balls."

"Oh, you thought we meant —" Goku began loudly.

"No, we mean our precious jewels," Kaede interrupted, glancing over at Goku sideways.

"If you two have some precious treasures, let's see them," Oolong scoffed.

"Well, you see, Bulma asked us not to show you," Kaede said timidly.

"Oh come on, are you really going to let that old witch decide what you can or can't do?" Oolong said derisively.

"Well, I guess it wouldn't be so bad if we showed you just once," Goku said, pulling his Dragon Ball out of his hip pouch.

Seeing his lead, Kaede pulled her Dragon Ball out of her pocket and displayed it alongside Goku's.

"Neat, huh?" Goku said.

Outside, Yamcha and Puar snuck closer to our heroes' camper, stopping below a window. They could hear singing above.

"Okay, she's right above us," Yamcha noted.

"Master, can you see if the other three are with her?" Puar asked her longtime friend.

"Hang on," Yamcha said, moving to sneak a peek into the window.

Very unfortunately for him, Bulma was in the middle of showering on the other side... completely naked.

"Ahh!" Yamcha yelled, sitting back down and covering his mouth up real quick.

After a few seconds had passed and they were sure his brief outburst hadn't alerted her, Yamcha growled.

"I hate turning into a bowl of mush every time I see a girl!" he complained.

"It's not your fault," Puar reassured him.

"... and then a big dragon appears..." a voice spoke from nearby.

"I think I hear something," Yamcha commented.

The two thieves worked closer to the side of the trailer where Goku and Kaede were talking to Oolong.

"Are you sure it's true?" Oolong's voice asked.

"It's the pig and the kids," Puar said.

"So when you get all seven Dragon Balls together, the Dragon appears and grants a wish?" Oolong said.

"Uh-huh!" Goku said brightly. "Yup! That's right!"

"Any wish you can think of?" Oolong repeated, sounding greedy.

"Well, that is what Bulma told us," Kaede said now.

"So how many more Dragon Balls do you need?" Oolong said.

"Only two more to go," Kaede informed the pig.

"We're onto something really big here, guys!" Oolong began.

But before he could say anymore, Yamcha and Puar snuck off into the night, hiding under a rocky pillar.

"Well, it seems we hit the jackpot!" Yamcha declared gleefully.

"Yeah?" Puar repeated.

"Puar, you know what this means, don't you?" Yamcha asked, his voice growing more and more excited.

"What, Yamcha?" Puar asked, sounding just as eager.

"I WILL NEVER BE SHY AROUND WOMEN AGAIN!" Yamcha said boldly. "NEVER!"

Puar fell over. "But Yamcha, if you could have any wish, then you could rule the world and have all the riches in it!"

Yamcha gazed at Puar dubiously. "Come on," Yamcha snorted. "How long have you been with me?"

"It's been two years, one month, and three days," Puar replied dutifully.

"After all of this time, I thought you really would have known me by now," Yamcha sighed.

"I thought so too," Puar said sadly.

"Well, my furry friend, you don't," Yamcha said. "I have no aspirations to rule the world. Do you understand?"

"I think I do," Puar said, trying to grasp what her master was saying.

"No," Yamcha said, leaning against the rocky pillar heavily. "I want what no amount of riches in the world can buy." Yamcha spoke softly, bearing his soul to the small feline. "Can't you see that someday I'd like to get married?" Then he jerked upright, clenching his fist angrily. "Or at least to be able to ask a girl out on one single, lousy date!"

"See what happens when you don't have an afternoon nap, Master?" Puar chided.

Yamcha looked over at the camper, eyes alit with determination.

"From now on... we have only those Dragon Balls in our sights," the desert bandit said grandly. "We'll get them. Mark my words."

Back in the camper, Oolong was talking.

"You know, guys, we need to cut Bulma out," he said decisively. "That's all there is to it."

"But Bulma and I are partners!" Goku protested. "Why on Earth would you want to cut her out?"

"Well, for one thing, she's a girl, and I'm a guy," Oolong stated, and then he began drooling as his eyes gleamed perversely. "And I wanna wish for some guy things, like a harem with three hundred girls in it!"

Kaede blinked and drew back, looking very uncomfortable around Oolong.

"Golly, why in the world would you want to have three hundred girls?" Goku asked naïvely.

"Huh?" Oolong said, snapping out of his perverted lust. "What's that, Goku?"

"Well, Kaede is nice, but Bulma's kinda mean," Goku said. "And she sure yells a lot. What if the Dragon gave you three hundred girls just like Bulma? Can you imagine what it'd be like having three hundred Bulmas yelling at you?"

Out of nowhere, Bulma reached down and whacked Goku hard across the head.

"How dare you talk behind my back, Goku!" Bulma said angrily.

"Do you really have to keep hitting him?" Kaede said in a low voice. "He doesn't mean anything by it. He just doesn't know better."

Bulma blinked at the serious tone Kaede was using and the slight narrowing in her eyes that threatened dire repercussions.

"_Yes_," the voice purred. "_Strike her down now! Just give in to it. Once you make that first kill_,_ it'll get a lot easier_,_ trust me._"

Instantly, Kaede asserted control over herself, grabbing her head as she did so.

_Go away!_ she screamed. _Go away and please leave me alone! I don't want to listen to you! Go away! Just go away!_

"_It's inevitable_," the voice said, sounding like a snake coiled in her mind. "_You need me_,_ more than you know._"

"STOP IT!" Kaede cried loudly.

Everyone there blinked in surprised.

"Um, stop what?" Goku asked.

"Kaede, are you okay?" Bulma said in concern.

"Hey, you seemed really out of it, kid," Oolong added.

Kaede glanced up, looking in horror at her friends.

_What can I tell them?_ she wondered. _I can't say I'm hearing voices. They'll leave me alone! I... I can't go through that again!_

"No, no, I-I'm fine," Kaede said shakily.

"Kaede, are you absolutely sure you're okay?" Bulma said softly. "Because it really seems like something is bothering you."

"No, I'm fine!" Kaede said hastily, hoping to save off any line of inquiry they might take. "Please! I... I think I'm just a little tired is all."

"Okay, if you say so," Bulma said, shrugging. "Hey Oolong, do you have any pajamas I could borrow?"

"Oh, like mine would really fit you," Oolong scoffed as he got up.

"So what am I supposed to wear to bed then, hm?" Bulma complained.

"What am I, your personal servant?" Oolong snorted, opening the fridge nearby.

"Well, with that hat, you certainly look like one," Bulma shot back. "Or a limo driver or something."

Oolong pulled out three glass drinks and brought them over to Goku, Kaede, and Bulma.

"Here you go," Oolong said, handing it over to them.

"What is this?" Kaede asked, staring down at it.

"It's some ice cold juice," Oolong said. "It'll calm your nerves and help you sleep."

"Oh wow, you can be a sweet swine, can't you?" Bulma said.

"More than you'll ever know," Oolong said mysteriously.

Kaede took a sip, and then almost choked on the bitter taste. Goku actually spat some of his out.

"Eww, this stuff's gross!" the innocent boy declared.

"Yeah, it tastes awful, Oolong," Kaede agreed.

"It's for, uh, health nuts," Oolong said quickly. "It's, uh, supposed to make you strong."

"Oh well, down the hatch," Goku said reluctantly.

"I don't care if I become big and strong," Kaede said distastefully.

"Well, it also makes you grow up beautiful," Oolong told her persuasively.

"Really?" Kaede said with a sidelong glance at Goku.

"Yup!" Oolong said. "Sure thing, sweetheart."

"Well, okay," Kaede said, and along with Goku, she rather reluctantly gulped down the foul drink.

"Wow, you were right!" Goku said. "I do feel stronger."

"I don't feel any different," Kaede offered.

"Do you want some, Oolong?" Goku asked the pig.

"I, uh, had mine already," Oolong said quickly.

Suddenly, Bulma yawned. "So, where do I sleep? I'm tired."

"Just go right up those stairs there," Oolong instructed.

Behind him, Goku and Kaede's eyes started closing shut, seemingly against their will.

"Good night," Bulma said sleepily, heading up the stairs Oolong mentioned. On the way up, however, something seemed to occur to her and she turned back to face him warningly. "And don't let me catch you coming up here, or I'll just have to make the piggy sound again, and you'll be going whee, whee, whee all the way home!"

"Gotcha," Oolong said innocently.

"And since you don't seem to be doing anything, I want my clothes cleaned for morning," Bulma added.

"Right," Oolong agreed casually.

Once she was gone, Oolong frowned. "Boy, the way she was nagging me, you'd think we were married. I'll never understand women."

And with that, Goku yawned widely as Kaede fell against the boy, snoring softly. Upon seeing this, Oolong smirked.

_That sleeping powder worked faster than I thought_, Oolong thought. _Now there's nothing stopping me from copping a feel._

Unseen to Oolong, a metallic glint reflected off the lights shining through the window. Outside, Agent Green pulled down his binoculars and moved closer to the camper, obviously intent on completing his mission.

On the other side of the rig, Shu was trying to disarm the bomb.

"Uh-oh," Shu said.

"Hurry, Shu!" Mai urged him.

"Something's wrong," Shu remarked. "It won't stop. It's gonna blow in less than a minute."

Mai's eyes bugged out again and she screamed, running around in terror.

"What am I going to do?" Shu wondered, even as he pressed buttons on the remote. "I'm too young to blow up."

Suddenly, he let out a heartfelt sigh of infinite relief.

"What happened?" Mai asked him. "Tell me, Shu."

"Nothing to worry about, Mai," Shu told the other spy. "I reset it for eight o'clock tomorrow morning. Then boom."

In our heroes' camper, Oolong decided to test Goku by holding his nose shut, yet the little boy still slept on. With a smirk and a perverted laugh, Oolong left the two kids and headed upstairs, his eyes glowing with delight.

Outside, Yamcha and Puar came up to the camper. They never noticed the soft shimmer of the light catching something behind them...

"It's all clear, Yamcha!" Puar told the desert bandit.

"All right, this is it," Yamcha instructed his trusty feline. "You know what to do."

With that, Puar changed into a key. Yamcha took the key and stuck it in the keyhole, opening the door.

Upstairs, Oolong was busy pulling down the blankets wrapped over Bulma...

Down below, Yamcha and Puar rushed into the camper. Oolong heard it from above.

"What's that?" he said out loud.

Yamcha kept an attack posture in front of Goku and Kaede before realizing they weren't going to wake up.

"These two kids are really zonked out," he observed lightly. "I wonder where the other two have gone."

"I'm guessing they must be upstairs," Puar noted.

"Puar, I want you to change into this boy here and lure the others outside," Yamcha ordered.

"Right!" Puar declared.

With that, the tiny feline transformed into a VERY bad simulacrum of Goku.

Up above, Oolong rushed to the stairs and looked down.

"How can they be awake after that dose I gave them?" Oolong said.

Looking down to closely examine what was taking place below, Oolong saw the bad simulacrum of Goku heading up the stairs.

"Oh no, it's Goku!" Oolong said, completely fooled by the approaching simulacrum.

_I don't get it!_ Oolong thought with frustration. _I put enough in his drink to knock out a horse!_ Then he abruptly switched to terror. _If that little imp catches me up here_,_ he's sure to squeal to Bulma_,_ and she'll fry my bacon good! I gotta think of something fast!_

"Oh, I know," Oolong said.

Quickly covering up Bulma with the blankets he'd been about to pull down, the pig transformed into another horrible simulacrum of Bulma, right down to the towel wrapped around his newly constructed body.

A second later, the bad simulacrum of Goku walked up the stairs.

"Oh hi, Goku, you scared me!" Oolong said in a fake, very high voice.

"Hey, where's Oolong?" Puar asked in an unconvincing voice also.

Oolong growled in frustration before plastering a fake smile onto his face.

"Um, Oolong?" Oolong said. "I thought he went for a walk. I thought he was back."

"No, he's not back yet," the bad Goku clone informed Oolong.

"Isn't Kaede up with you?" Oolong asked Puar.

Puar was sweating nervously, but she answered faithfully.

"Um, she's up too, but she went for a walk too," Puar told the pig. "Hey, I know! Let's go outside and look for them!" As an afterthought, Puar added, "There's something I want to show you out there too."

"Well, um, okay," Oolong allowed.

Together, the two headed down the stairs. Unseen, Yamcha held Kaede and Goku together to keep them from making a noise.

"It looks like Kaede and Oolong haven't come back yet," Puar said, still in the same fake voice.

"I have a feeling they're close by," Oolong said, also in a fake voice.

Yamcha let go of Goku and Kaede.

"With her out of the way, nothing can stop me from stealing those Dragon Balls!" Yamcha declared happily, then he frowned thoughtfully. "Strange, though, in the daylight she looked much prettier." Then he shrugged. "Must be the makeup."

Yamcha left Goku and Kaede snoring against each other, heading upstairs. As Yamcha made his way up the stairs, Agent Green slipped smoothly in through the door with the effortless skills of a practiced professional.

Catching sight of the pink-haired girl snoring peacefully against the tailed little boy Green smirked and reached inside his bag for a pair of scissors. Bending down over the sleeping kids, Green cut off a small portion of Kaede's hair, holding it in his hands like a precious treasure. His wide, predatory grin could only be described as that of the devil.

"Now that we have a sample from the Queen, we can proceed with our plans for world domination!" he said grandly.

Hearing a scream from above, Green quirked an eyebrow and quickly departed, leaving no trace of his presence behind.

Outside, where Oolong and Puar had transformed and revealed themselves to one another, Puar flew screaming back towards the camper, where Green was exiting and slipped into the shadows.

Yamcha moved slowly down the steps, looking stunned. Puar came floating up to him.

"Yamcha, are you okay?" she asked.

Then her eyes bugged out at how disoriented Yamcha looked. His eyes were wide as saucers and he looked completely paralyzed.

"Not Dragon Balls..." he whimpered stupidly. "Not Dragon Balls..."

"My poor master," Puar said, gently. leading him away

"Not Dragon Balls... Not Dragon Balls..." Yamcha kept muttering.

Just then, Oolong came running up, looking very miffed.

"What, is this just a perverts' convention?" he snorted angrily.

The next morning, Goku and Kaede both shifted together, but Goku was the one who opened his eyes, yawning widely. He rubbed his eyes before catching sight of the girl snuggled up close to him, reacting in typical Goku fashion.

"Hey, Kaede, you can wake up now," he said softly, nudging the horned girl.

"Hmmm, Goku..." she muttered, snuggling closer to the boy.

Goku looked a bit unnerved and nudged her some more. "Hey, come on, wake up!" Goku urged her.

With all the shaking, Kaede's eyes slowly slid open and she gazed blearily at the boy in front of her.

"Hi!" Goku told her cheerfully.

Shyly, Kaede returned the smile, and the two rose together, with Goku still yawning.

"It's about time," Oolong said grumpily.

The pig was holed up in the front seat, holding a shotgun and looking like he hadn't slept at ALL in the night.

"Oh, good morning," Goku said happily, waving at Oolong.

"Yeah, for you, maybe," Oolong sniped. "Had a nice sleep together, you two?"

"Huh?" Goku said.

"Can you ask us that maybe an hour later?" Kaede added sleepily.

At that moment, Bulma came walking down the stairs.

"Ugh, I have a terrible headache," she murmured. "Hey, Oolong, did you wash my clothes yet?"

"Sorry, I've been a little busy," Oolong retorted.

Despite her sleepy demeanor, Bulma instantly built up to anger.

"What?! What do you mean busy?! This is serious! I don't have any clothes to wear!" she yelled.

"I mean busy saving your butts from Yamcha," Oolong added.

"Yamcha?" Bulma said, her expression changing to delight. "Wow, he came back. Were you nice to him? Yamcha's real shy, you know!"

"I think I'm gonna puke," Oolong muttered.

Bulma's expression darkened. "What did you say?" she demanded.

"Nothing," Oolong sighed. "And if you really need clothes, there's one outfit in the drawer upstairs."

"Well, why didn't you just say so in the first place?" Bulma snapped, heading back upstairs.

"Yeah," Oolong said. "Come to think of it, maybe three hundred girls is a few too many, you guys. What if they all turn out like her?"

Oolong got up and headed into the adjoining bathroom.

"So does that mean you're changing your wish?" Goku asked.

"Yup," Oolong said as he began brushing his teeth.

"Gee, you're one smart pig, Oolong," Goku said.

"But we only get one wish," Kaede put forth. "How are we all going to wish for what we want?"

"Golly, I don't know," Goku said, thinking about it for a few seconds before giving up. "Oh well, I'm sure Bulma knows!"

"I hope she does," Kaede said.

"So what do you want to wish for, kid?" Oolong asked the horned girl through a mouthful of toothpaste.

"Me?" Kaede said, blushing at Oolong's question. "Oh, um, nothing, really."

"Yeah, that's a good one, kid," Oolong snorted. "I almost believed you for a second there."

"Aw, come on, can't you tell us, Kaede?" Goku whined. "We're your friends, aren't we?"

Kaede's eyes quivered. _T-They're so nice to me_, she thought. _I should tell them._

"Well, if you really must know," she said, looking down, "I want to wish for the Dragon to remove my horns."

"What?" Goku exclaimed. "But I like your horns! Why on Earth would you want to wish them away?"

"Because _I_ hate them," Kaede whimpered. "They've been the cause of my suffering for so long. I just want to be normal, that's all."

"That's your reason?" Oolong scoffed as he finished brushing. "Listen, it's not my place to say this, but your horns are very attractive."

"Huh?" Kaede said. "Do... do you really mean that?"

"Yes," Oolong said, now rinsing his mouth out with water.

"Yeah, please don't wish away your horns, Kaede," Goku begged. "I really like them."

She stared into his onyx eyes, seeing in them an expression of friendliness and happiness.

_I-I've never met people who actually like my horns_, she thought. _It's so weird. And yet... how can I let them down?_

"_You should kill them_," the voice returned. "_They'll turn on you one day. You can't stop it. End them now before they hurt you._"

Kaede did her best to try to ignore the voice, but it wasn't easy.

"Okay, I think I'll keep my horns," she said softly.

"Yay!" Goku said. "Super! Thank you, Kaede." And then his stomach growled. "Whoa, I'm hungry!"

"You're always hungry, kid," Oolong told him.

"Yeah, but that isn't so bad once you get used to it," Kaede said with a smile.

Outside, Shu and Mai just finished affixing the bomb to the camper and ran off. Once they were a safe distance away, they contacted the person whom they had been communicating with the previous night.

"What?" he yelled at them. "You two failed me again? Next time I'll know better than to get my spies from the want ads?"

"Sorry, sir, but we've already reprogrammed the bomb," Mai informed him. "It's set to blow at eight."

"What? At eight?" the other person said. "Why, that's just an hour away. All right, but no more mistakes."

"Yes sir," Mai said. "Agent Mai out."

In the camper, Goku and Kaede were eating, though Kaede wasn't eating nearly as ferociously as Goku. The tailed boy was quite literally tearing into the food in front of him with an eagerness most people reserved for something else.

"A month's supply of food, gone!" Oolong said in awed disbelief.

Suddenly, Bulma returned. And as soon as she stepped through the doorway, Kaede almost spat out her food. The blue-haired beauty was dressed in a form-fitting bunny costume, complete with ears on top.

"Hey, what's this, Easter?" she demanded. "This is no outfit, it's a costume, and I look ridiculous in it, Oolong!"

"Well, tough luck!" Oolong shot back. "That's all I've got. My stock of women's clothes is down this month," he added sarcastically.

Bulma crossed her arms and glared down at Oolong.

"You know, there's something that isn't quite right about you, Oolong," Bulma told him.

"I'm a pig?" Oolong repeated, still frowning in that irritated manner.

"Me too!" Goku declared. "That was great!"

Kaede finished her food at the same time and looked up.

"Um, shouldn't we get going now?" she asked them.

"Good point, Kaede!" Bulma said. "There's still two more Dragon Balls out there, and it's our job to find them!"

Thirty minutes later, they were speeding across the desert in their camper.

"So why am I driving?" Oolong demanded. "I just hate driving!"

"Oh quit your complaining!" Bulma said imperiously. "I'm putting on my makeup."

"This girl's such a pain in the ass," Oolong muttered to Goku and Kaede.

"She is kinda bossy, but she does mean well, I think," Kaede stated.

"Yeah, well, this trip is getting to be more than I bargained for," Oolong said.

"Tell me if you see Yamcha," Bulma added from the back.

"Yeah, we'll keep our fingers crossed!" Oolong told her sourly. "Oh, can't wait to see him."

"Personally, I don't care if we _ever_ see him again," Kaede shared.

Goku looked out the window at something outside. "Is that him?" the messy-haired boy asked.

Another vehicle had pulled up beside the camper with Yamcha in it.

"Oh no, it is him!" Kaede said.

"Wow, that Yamcha's such a hunk!" they heard from the back.

Goku and Kaede literally fell over from her remark.

Out in the vehicle, Yamcha was aiming a bazooka at their camper.

"Wow, he's looking right at me!" Bulma squealed happily.

And then Yamcha fired the bazooka. A missile sped out from the launcher and slammed directly into the camper, throwing everything over. As their camper tipped to one side, Goku, Kaede, and Oolong dropped out.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" Goku demanded. "Are you two nuts?"

"Why do you keep attacking us?" Kaede agreed. "We haven't done a single thing to you!"

"Simple, because you three happen to possess something I want," Yamcha said smoothly.

"Don't worry about the girl, Master," Puar whispered. "I think she was knocked out in the crash."

"Okay, game's up," Yamcha said seriously. "Listen. Now give me the Dragon Balls or you will die."

"Uh, guys, how come that goon knows about the Dragon Balls?" Oolong asked.

"I'll bet he was listening in the other night!" Kaede said.

"That's enough gawking," Yamcha ordered. "Hand them over now."

"I'll hand over this!" Goku said as he stuck out his tongue, then rushed Yamcha.

"Goku, he's got a gun!" Oolong warned as Goku took off toward him.

"I couldn't possibly turn down a fight with Gohan's grandson, Puar," Yamcha told his trusted partner, then he smiled eagerly as he faced off against the tailed boy. "So, you little runt, you want another spanking from my Wolf Fang Fist?"

"Goku, _please_ be careful!" Kaede begged, clearly remembering their last fight with Yamcha.

"I was hungry last time, but now my stomach's full!" Goku said.

Yamcha and Goku slammed their punches into one another. Goku caught a few more of Yamcha's punches, jumped over Yamcha's side kick, and kicked the desert bandit directly in the side of his mouth.

"Attaboy!" Oolong cried.

"Yes, way to go, Goku!" Kaede said happily, seeing that Goku didn't need her help again.

_I don't ever want to lose control again_, she thought.

"_But that is the path to power_," an echo of the voice whispered in her mind. "_That is the path to revenge against all who hurt us._"

Kaede shook her head, determinedly trying to ignore the voice, like always.

"Have you had enough yet?" Goku asked the fallen Yamcha.

Puar floated over to Yamcha, who was just making his way back up to his feet.

"Yamcha, let's get out of here before they beat us again," Puar said. Then she noticed something. "Oh no, look at your teeth!"

With that, Puar transformed into a mirror, which Yamcha took, and he saw... a tooth missing from his mouth!

Yamcha screamed. "Oh no, look at me!" he moaned. "Now I'll never get a date!"

Kaede blinked. Then blinked again. It was just so surprising to hear a bad guy talk that way.

_Why... why would he care if he gets a date?_ she wondered. _He's the bad guy! And yet... Oolong was a bad guy too. He kidnapped girls_,_ yet he's still coming with us_,_ and he's actually very good company._ Then Kaede shook her head, confused. _Why is this journey proving to be so complicated? Nothing's like what I expected it to be. I don't like this._

Goku, meanwhile, just stared at Yamcha in complete confusion similar to Kaede's, though for different reasons.

"I won't forget this, kid!" Yamcha declared, pointing at Goku. "I'll be back!"

And with that, he and Puar sped off into the distance.

"That was strange," Goku said.

"Wow, Goku, you were phenomenal," Oolong complimented him. "You really showed him!"

"Yeah, good work, Goku," Kaede added, giving him a cute smile.

"Thanks, guys!" Goku said, grinning goofily, before growing serious again. "I think we better go check on Bulma."

"Hope she's in better shape than our ride," Oolong said.

"Looks like it's back to walking," Kaede sighed.

Some distance away, Yamcha and Puar were sitting in their car, pondering what to do.

"I guess we underestimated that boy," Yamcha said.

"He knows his stuff," Puar agreed. "And that young girl's no slouch either. She almost killed you."

"That's true, but we can always use that to our advantage, Puar," Yamcha said. "We'll just let them find all the Dragon Balls, then when they have all seven, we make our strike and take them by surprise!"

"Yamcha, you are the greatest!" Puar declared. "You are!"

And Yamcha moaned in pain as the area Goku had kicked him began acting up again.

Near the devastated wreck of the camper, Shu and Mai's spy pods rested nearby. The two agents observed the remains coolly.

"Looks like that bomb did the trick," Mai noted. "Those poor schmucks never knew what hit them."

Shu got out his clock and frowned down at the mechanical hands.

"That's strange," he said. "It blew before eight o'clock."

"Don't worry about it," Mai reassured him. "Pilaf probably got those bombs on sale. I'm going to check inside for the Dragon Balls."

And Mai rushed inside the blasted out door of the camper.

Back with our heroes, Goku got saddled with the job of carrying Bulma on his back.

"I wonder how Bulma stayed out of trouble before she met me," the spiky-haired boy said.

"Well, I'm glad I met you two," Kaede said. "Otherwise I would still be stuck in that awful place."

Meanwhile, Oolong was jogging along, grinning excitedly.

"Uh, hey, why don't you let me carry her there, little buddy?" the perverted pig asked. "I'd be happy to give, er, you a hand."

"Hey, guys!" a voice shouted. "Over here!"

They looked over and instantly tensed up as they saw Yamcha racing towards them across the desert.

"Ah!" Oolong said. "Look, guys, it's him!"

And Yamcha and Puar came to a stop in front of them as Kaede glowered at them beneath her bangs.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Yamcha said. "Hello there, we were talking, and, uh, oh, well, we don't want there to be any hard feelings between us." Yamcha pulled out a tiny capsule and let it fly. "It was a fair fight, so here you go."

A car materialized out of the small device. Kaede blinked. And blinked again. She could barely hear what was being said.

_The bad guy... just gave us a car? After hurting Goku so badly?_ she thought. _How can that be? There has to be more to this!_

"I guess deep down, he's really a good guy!" Goku said optimistically.

"I... I don't know about that, Goku," Kaede said, eyes shimmering emotionally. "He hurt us badly and even almost killed you. How can we trust him after all that? Maybe he's just trying to trick us and lure us into a false sense of security."

"Secura-what?" Goku said, blinking in confusion at Kaede's words.

"I gotta agree with Miss Pink there, little guy," Oolong said. "I'd better check this car for bombs."

"You two should have a little more faith in people," Goku told them, sounding disappointed.

Kaede blushed and felt her heart sink. "I really can't help it," the pink-haired girl said sadly. "I've just been raised this way."

_Why does his disapproval hurt so much?_ the horned girl wondered.

A few miles away, a blip appeared on the screen of Yamcha's vehicle.

"There they go, Yamcha!" Puar exclaimed. "Your homing device is working!"

"Good thing, too," Yamcha said. "I'm taking an awful risk, Puar. This better work."

As Yamcha sat up, they heard an explosion from very far off.

_Well_,_ it seems our heroes have their work cut out for them with all these different groups running around and trying to steal their Dragon Balls. Can they collect all seven and make their wishes_,_ or will one of these secret groups manage to steal the Dragon Balls? And what about the mysterious organization Agent Green works for? Will they ever be making an appearance again? All these questions and more will be answered next time_,_ on Dragon Ball: A New Beginning!_

* * *

Whoo, another chapter out. Seriously, no one spot the references? Well, can anyone spot the reference this time? Hint, it's a _Star Wars_ reference and it's near the end. Also, sorry if I butchered Oolong's character. I know in the original he wanted to molest Bulma instead of stealing their Dragon Balls, but since I just couldn't FIND the original episode anywhere online, I had to make something up.

I may be thinking of changing this story to an M rating. How do you guys feel about that? Also, does anyone want power levels?

Well, anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed and, as always, please review again!


	5. Developing Feelings

Dragon Ball: A New Beginning

CHAPTER 5: Developing Feelings

_In search of their sixth Dragon Ball_,_ the team is on the path to the legendary Fire Mountain_,_ home of a dreaded giant called the Ox King who guards his home against intruders who may steal his treasure. Unknown to our heroes_,_ they are being tailed by Yamcha_,_ the desert bandit_,_ who is on their trail in search of the other two Dragon Balls. Will they manage to collect all seven Dragon Balls with these thieves on their tail_,_ and can they survive an encounter with the terrible Ox King? Find out_,_ today_,_ on Dragon Ball: A New Beginning!_

"How much longer until we get there?" Bulma asked from the back of the car.

"Not long enough," Oolong complained.

"Are you still scared of that silly legend?" Bulma asked. "It's not real, you know."

"How do you know?" Kaede asked. "You haven't even been there."

"Kid, when you get to be older, you just know certain things," Bulma told the horned girl. "How can a whole mountain be on fire?"

"Great, I'm stuck with a nonbeliever!" Oolong snorted. "Well, you just wait until you see it for yourself, honey!"

"I gotta admit," Bulma said grudgingly, "it _is_ getting hotter all of a sudden."

Behind them, Yamcha's car continued to gain on them. Suddenly, in the car, Goku pointed.

"Look at the sunset!" he said loudly. "Is it ever bright!"

"Um, Goku, I don't think that's the sun," Kaede said.

"She's right, you dolt, that's Fire Mountain!" Oolong said.

"NO WAY!" Bulma shouted. "I... I just can't believe it!"

Behind them, Yamcha's car kept gaining.

"You'd better ease back, my friend," Yamcha told his partner, Puar. "We don't want to be spotted just yet."

"Right!" Puar said.

As our heroes' car sped closer, a giant flaming mountain appeared on the horizon.

"Well, that's it, Fire Mountain," Oolong said, sounding like he was absolutely dreading it.

"Unbelievable," Kaede said, fanning herself. "It's so huge. I've never seen anything like it."

"Yeah, you got that right, kid," Bulma agreed.

They all got out of the car.

"I don't know about you guys, but I've seen enough," Oolong said. "I'm ready to go."

"Yeah, I think Oolong is right," Kaede added. "He was right about Fire Mountain. What if he's right about the Ox King?"

"Even if he is right, we have to get that sixth Dragon Ball, Kaede," Bulma said. "Come on, you guys, are we really going to let a little old mountain scare us? Or are we going to take a chance and get those Dragon Balls?"

"If the Ox King catches us, he'll have our heads!" Oolong insisted. "We'd be lucky to escape with our lives!"

"I bet he's got the ball!" Bulma said, sounding unconcerned.

"Yeah, he's probably got it up inside his castle," Oolong said. Bulma held her hand over her eyes to get a better look at the structure atop the mountain, surrounded in crackling flames. "And it's all yours, as long as you can get past the scariest, most vicious giant in the world and pass through the wall of eternal flames, and then you can have it!"

"Does he live in the castle?" Kaede asked.

"He did," Oolong said, "but they say even he can't get through those flames."

"So why did he start the fire if he can't get past?" Goku asked.

"No, no, no, he didn't start the fire, kid," Oolong said. "He paid a wizard to conjure magical fire around his castle in order to protect it from thieves, and then it raged out of control, and he's been stuck outside ever since."

"You sure know a lot about it," Bulma noted.

"I was a tour guide for the local Chamber of Commerce, okay?" Oolong said. "And I just remembered, I forgot to clock out."

He got in the car and locked the door.

"You're the biggest coward I know!" Bulma yelled.

"Well, you're not scared because you think that Goku and Kaede will protect you, but they're no match for the Ox King!" Oolong said.

"But how do we know unless we try?" Goku said. "I'd really like to see how strong this Ox King is."

"Well, feel free to do whatever you want," Oolong stated. "As for me, I'm outta here, suckers!"

And he backed off at high speeds down the road.

"Let's let him get a head start!" Goku said excitedly.

"You get back here!" Bulma commanded him.

But Oolong ignored, so Bulma pulled out the "big guns."

"Piggy! Piggy, piggy! Piggy!" Bulma called. "Piggy!"

Oolong stopped the car and bolted out of the door, heading behind a large boulder.

Meanwhile, some miles away, the tracking device on Yamcha's car began beeping.

"Look, Yamcha!" Puar said. "They're on the move again."

"You're right, Puar," Yamcha said. "And they appear to be heading straight for Fire Mountain."

Yamcha put his hand on his chin, thinking.

"I'll bet that means the sixth Dragon Ball is up there in the Ox King's castle," he said thoughtfully.

"What?" Puar gasped. "Oh, well, that Dragon Ball's definitely lost!"

"Ah, so you don't think they have any chance?" Yamcha asked.

"Actually, they have two," Puar said. "Slim and none. That Dragon Ball is as good as gone."

"Well, you're probably right, but let's stick around to see the show," Yamcha said with an excited glint in his eye.

"And just what show is that, Master?" Puar asked.

"Come on, I imagine Goku and Kaede are probably going to try to take on the Ox King to get at the Dragon Ball," Yamcha said.

"Yes, I suppose so," Puar agreed.

"Well, then, there you're have it, my furry little friend," Yamcha said, sounding eager. "We finally get a chance to watch those poor little kids get torn limb from limb. We don't even have to get revenge on them."

"Ahhhhhhh!" someone suddenly screamed.

"Huh?" Yamcha said. "What?"

He and Puar took off in the direction that they heard the scream. There, they saw a young girl of around thirteen years with black hair, black eyes, and what seemed to be a warrior's battle bikini running away from a tyrannosaurus rex.

"Oh no!" the girl cried. "Somebody help!"

With that, she put her hands on her helmet, and this act seemed to bring the device to life as it threw out a curving scimitar blade directly at the dinosaur, which sliced its head clean off, before flying back to the girl, like a lethal boomerang.

The girl screamed at the sight.

"Ahhhhhhhhh! Gross! Look what I've done! I chopped his head right off!" she cried, putting her hands to a circular spot on her helmet.

From the helmet an energy beam emerged which exploded when it hit the dinosaur, sending charred remains flying everywhere.

"Now I've seen everything," Yamcha said, eyes bulging out in shock.

"I don't think she even had her eyes open, do you?" Puar said.

The girl ran in their direction, then came to a stop when she got a good look at him.

"Hey, nice shot," Yamcha complimented her, hoping to avoid a nasty confrontation with this girl.

"I was told to never talk to strangers!" the girl said, placing her hands to the circle again.

A beam shot out again that Yamcha only narrowly jumped over, his groin a split second away from being incinerated.

"Hey, watch out!" Yamcha yelled.

With that, the desert bandit delivered a solid chop to the back of the girl's head, and she fell unconscious with a startled yelp.

Yamcha cleaned off his hands. "That girl's dangerous." He turned to look back at his trusty partner. "All right, Puar, we've wasted enough time here already. We better get back on the road if we want to see the Ox King deal with Goku and Kaede."

And they got in their car and drove off, leaving the injured little girl lying there.

Around Fire Mountain, Goku and the team were examining the ruins of the old village.

"Man, I just can't stand this heat!" Bulma whined, wiping the sweat from her face.

Oolong held his hands out warningly.

"Whoa, be quiet," he whispered. "If the Ox King hears us, we'll be dead meat, you know?"

Goku, meanwhile, was poking a stick into a skeleton's skull.

"Goku, can you please leave that thing alone?" Kaede asked the tailed boy.

"Why?" Goku said innocently.

"I-It's just not a good idea to be messing with a skull," Kaede said.

"Aw, come on, he's dead now, Kaede," Goku said breezily as he picked up the skull. "He can't hurt us."

At the same time, Oolong was looking around nervously, obviously scared the Ox King would show up.

Bulma took out her Dragon Radar and examined it.

"Well, the Dragon Ball's definitely in the castle," she said. "But how do we get it out of there?"

She turned to Goku with a smile.

"What do you say, Goku?" Bulma called. "Do you think you could fly up there and get that Dragon Ball?"

Goku held the skull to cover his face. "I tried that once, and look what happened!"

He put the skull down, laughing.

"That's not funny, Goku," Kaede said.

"But why, Kaede?" Goku asked her.

Suddenly, Kaede was alone in the area, surrounded by skulls and skeletons.

"_This can be yours_," the voice insisted. "_All you have to do is give in completely and we can bring death to all of our enemies._"

"I-I don't want to bring death to our enemies," Kaede said. "I just want a little peace! Why is that so hard to understand?"

"_Peace is a lie_," the voice insisted. "_There is only the strength of your enemies_,_ and good and evil doesn't come into it. If you are strong_,_ you can do whatever you want. Make the world a safer place for our kind._"

"But how do I do that?" Kaede asked.

"_First you need to sever all your ties_," the voice whispered. "_Start by killing your friends._"

"No, I can't do that!" Kaede said stubbornly. "I _won't_!"

Suddenly, a vision of Goku, Bulma, and Oolong appeared right in front of her, and their heads burst off in an explosion of blood.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Kaede cried. "No, what is this going on? What's happening to me?"

"_You are learning to fulfill your destiny_,_ my dear_," the voice said, its voice a seductive whisper. "_Learn to use your talents and we can bring our order to the entire world_,_ and pain and suffering to our enemies._"

"B-But my friends aren't my enemies!" Kaede said loudly. "They're not! They love me!"

Suddenly, a figure appeared in the distance, walking through the ruined village right toward her. As it got closer to her, Kaede could see it looked exactly like she did, except that it was covered in bandages and completely naked.

The figure came right up to her and stared at her through a slit in its mummified mask.

"Love you?" the other girl said. "Give me a break. They don't love you. They are only using you."

"No, they can't be!" Kaede said, shaking her head desperately to will this to be true. "They've always been so kind to me."

"Just a trick, my dear," the other girl said. "All humans will deceive you. They _can't_ understand you. How can they? You are not like them. From the moment you were born, you were different from them all."

"B-But being different isn't bad," Kaede said, her argument now sounding hollow to her ears. "It can be good too."

"Good how?" the girl said. "Were it not for your differences, you would not have been picked on."

Kaede fell to her knees in despair. The other girl leaned down next to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Give in, and I promise, I will give you everything you've ever wanted," the girl said. "We can return to the orphanage and leave it a flaming ruins. Give in, and we can create a new order, one where we are accepted and loved, where we do not have to hide our horns, what we are, from the filthy humans who inhabit this world, so arrogant in their own superiority."

"Yes..." Kaede said, a strange gleam entering her eyes.

"Yes..." the girl whispered, now sounding very excited. "Just give in... just give in..."

"KAEDE!" a voice broke in on the vision.

Kaede blinked, and saw Goku shaking her, hands on her shoulders.

"Kaede, are you all right?" Goku asked, sounding concerned.

Kaede began blinking, trying to comprehend what had just occurred.

"What... what just happened?" she asked, still blinking rapidly.

"You kinda zoned out there for a minute," Goku said. "Are you feeling okay? You seemed kinda weird there for a minute."

Kaede grabbed her head in both of her hands. _What is... what is happening to me?_

"_Just give in..._" the voice echoed.

"Shut up!" Kaede yelled.

"Be quiet, or the Ox King is gonna hear us for sure!" Oolong snapped.

"Kaede, it's okay," Goku said. "Just calm down. I'm here for you."

Kaede took a deep breath, trying to relax herself, and nodded once.

"I gotta go look for the Dragon Ball," Goku said. "I'll be back soon."

Still feeling shaky, Kaede nodded.

Goku turned and held his hand over mouth as he called out.

"FLYING NIMBUS!" he cried.

Oolong began waving his hands wildly.

"Doesn't anyone care about security anymore?" Oolong grated. "Now you've done it! The Ox King probably knows we're here!"

The flying yellow cloud came swooping down next to Goku, who hopped on and flew away.

"Get that Dragon Ball, Goku!" Bulma shouted.

"Hurry back, okay?" Oolong added.

Kaede stood up, still blinking, and watched as Goku sped off on the Nimbus. However, when he got closer to the castle, the fire, seemingly aware of his presence in some way, shot up a burst of flames, which consumed the Nimbus, and Goku flew away, his tail on fire.

"Goku!" Kaede screamed.

"Great, the kid couldn't get past the fire!" Bulma said.

"How can you be so cold?" Kaede demanded, tears shimmering in her eyes. "Goku could be hurt!"

"Oh, don't worry about him, he's fine," Bulma sighed, sounding defeated.

"And we should get out of here so that all of us stay that way!" Oolong said.

Suddenly, a giant ax came flying past them, slamming into the wall and imbedding itself in the stone structure.

Slowly, Bulma, Oolong, and Kaede turned around to find... a towering mountain of a man standing right behind them!

"Ahhhhhhh!" Bulma screamed.

Bulma and Oolong froze in sheer terror, but Kaede let her features fall into an expressionless mask.

_If I have to defend my friends_,_ then I will!_ she thought. _Even if that means using... _them_._

The Ox King grabbed the ax and held it down by his side.

"What are you three doing here?" he demanded.

"Who, us?" Bulma squeaked. "We, we, we weren't doing anything."

Oolong, meanwhile, had peed his pants from the panic.

"Don't tell me you've come to steal the treasures from my castle, huh?" the Ox King said.

He moved his head closer to them.

"Have you?" he asked them.

"Mr. Ox King," Kaede said, and he turned to look at her. "We came here to look for something called a Dragon Ball, and we think you have it in your castle. But we really should ask you for your permission —"

The Ox King interrupted her, however.

"I knew it!" he yelled. "You're just stinking treasure hunters!"

"No, that's not true!" Kaede insisted. "We only want this one thing, that's all!"

"What do you know about truth, you little thief?" he said, bringing his ax down on her.

Kaede jumped aside, avoiding the ax before it could slice her in half.

"GOKU!" Bulma screamed.

Meanwhile, Kaede was struggling hard just to avoid all the blows with the Ox King's ax.

_I've got to find a way to use my vectors_, she thought. _But he's too quick! How am I going beat his speed?_

Suddenly, Goku jumped down from the skies, having used his Power Pole to get there faster.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" he demanded. "Stop that! Stop trying to hurt Kaede!"

The Ox King was momentarily distracted by Goku's shout, and Kaede saw her chance.

_Do it now!_ she thought.

Her vectors flew right at the Ox King and wrapped around his ax. With a mighty tug, she yanked it out of his hands and threw it away.

"Attagirl, Kaede!" Bulma cheered from behind some debris. "Whoo hoo, all right!"

Goku ran towards the Ox King and delivered a flying kick to him, which did absolutely nothing. He just rubbed that area and smirked.

"Goku!" Kaede shouted.

Something seemed to pass between them. Suddenly, it was like they were one mind, and Goku could see what Kaede wanted.

He nodded. "Yeah, I got you!" he said.

Bringing his fists down where Kaede was, the pinkette leaped away and reached out with her vectors once again. She got them under the Ox King and despite his great bulk managed to lift him up in the air.

"Hey, what the...?" he said. "How are you doing that? Stop it!"

Kaede wrapped her vectors around the Ox King's middle and began spinning him around in the air.

"Stop, I'm getting dizzy!" the Ox King said.

With one final thrust, Kaede threw the Ox King in Goku's general direction. The tailed boy leaped up and aimed another flying kick at the Ox King. This time, the blow connected solidly and the Ox King was sent flying away at high speeds.

"WOOHOO!" Bulma exulted. "Yay! You two did it!"

"I don't believe it," Oolong muttered. "A pair of teenage kids actually beat the Ox King! Incredible!"

The spiky-haired boy was clutching his leg, obviously in pain.

Kaede wandered up to him. "Are you okay, Goku?"

"Yeah, I think so," he said. He looked up and flashed her a thumbs-up. "That was some nice teamwork there, Kaede. Thanks."

Kaede blushed and awkwardly returned the thumbs-up. Suddenly, to their surprise, the ground began shaking.

"What's that?" Kaede said, frowning intently.

"It feels like an earthquake!" Goku said.

"No, it's not," Bulma pointed out, looking horrified. "Look! He's back!"

They turned around, and there he was, the Ox King, battle ax in his hand once again, as he lumbered forward to face them.

"Oh man, I knew it was too good to be true!" Oolong moaned. "Great! Now we're all doomed!"

"Can it, pork rinds!" Bulma snapped. "Go, Goku, go, Kaede! I know you can beat him!"

"Kaede!" Goku said, looking over at the pink-haired girl.

"Yeah, I got your back, Goku," Kaede assured him.

"Let's take down this big oaf together," Goku said in determination, his mouth grinning with anticipation.

"You're a lot stronger than I thought," the Ox King admitted. "But I won't let you steal my treasure!"

"How many times do we have to tell you?" Kaede said. "We're not here to steal your treasure!"

She took off running towards the Ox King, her vectors flying out all around her. As she got closer, the Ox King brought his battle ax down, but Kaede was able to jump to the side and sent her vectors at him.

With her vectors, she began pummeling the Ox King, and where Goku's fists and feet had failed, her vectors managed to succeed, each blow she delivered sending the huge man staggering back under the onslaught of her additional hands.

"How are you doing that?" the Ox King said, clearly unable to see what was hitting him.

"It's time to get serious!" Goku said. "Flying Nimbus!"

The yellow cloud soared down, and Goku jumped on it. Kaede let up her onslaught to see what Goku was doing. Once he was close enough to the giant Goku began flying around the Ox King, faster and faster.

"Hey, stop that!" the Ox King said, growing dizzy once again. "I... can't... see!"

Goku leaped down and aimed a kick at the Ox King's head, but it only pushed him forward a few feet.

"Man, this guy's built like a mountain!" Goku complained. Then he looked at Kaede. "Yet somehow, she was able to hurt her."

Then, Goku smiled. _Wow_,_ Kaede must be stronger than I thought to be able to do more damage than me!_

The Ox King rubbed the back of his neck, but aside from a few black and blue marks, he looked relatively undamaged.

"Guys, get out of there!" Oolong shouted. "You can't beat the Ox King!"

"Wait, you mean you're the Ox King?" Goku said in awe.

"Yup," the Ox King confirmed.

"No wonder you're so strong!" Goku said, clearly impressed by the giant man.

The Ox King's eyes narrowed, and he pointed at them. "I know that cloud, and I know that you couldn't ride it if you stole it! So where did you get it? Who gave that to you, huh?" he demanded from the two.

"Why should we answer?" Kaede said coldly. "You're trying to kill both of us."

"Right, well, maybe I'll stop that if you answer some questions," the Ox King relented.

_Come to think of it_,_ where _did_ Goku get the Nimbus?_ Kaede wondered.

"Well, I don't mind answering a few questions," Goku said. "I got it from some guy called the Turtle Hermit."

"You mean Master Roshi!" the Ox King said. "He was my old teacher."

Then his face grew hopeful.

"Do you know where I can find him?" he asked.

Goku flew closer to Bulma and Oolong.

"Bulma, do you know where we can find Master Roshi?" he asked. "The Ox King wants to know."

"We'd probably find him somewhere close to the beach we were on," Bulma informed him.

The Ox King began jumping up and down, looking very excited. Kaede stepped back, unnerved.

"Woo whee, I can finally go back to my castle, oh boy, oh boy!" he cheered happily.

This complete and total change was a mystery to Kaede.

"Wait, so, that's it?" she demanded icily. "You try and kill us, and just like that it, it's over?"

"Oh yes, well..." The Ox King cleared his throat. "I'm sorry for all of that. I'm just so protective of my castle. Please forgive me."

Kaede blinked.

_What is it about this journey that's shaking my beliefs?_ she thought. _First Oolong comes with us_,_ but he used to kidnap girls. Then Yamcha seemed sorry about trying to hurt us_,_ and now the Ox King is saying he's sorry_,_ too. What's going on? How can people so mean feel regret for what they have done to other people? What does all this mean?_

Further in the rubble, Yamcha and Puar snuck up closer to them. Meanwhile, the Ox King was looking closer at Goku.

"Where did you get this little toothpick that you carry on your back?" he asked.

"Oh, that's no toothpick, that's my Power Pole," Goku told him. The innocent boy put his arms behind his neck. "Isn't it cool? It can extend to any size that I want it. My grandpa gave it to me before he died."

"Oh wow, that's interesting!" the Ox King. "Tell me, was his name Gohan?"

"Hm-hmm," Goku said.

"Aha!" the Ox King said excitedly. "Your grandpa Gohan once tried to break that toothpick on my head, so long ago."

"You mean you and my grandfather used to fight each other?" Goku asked.

The conversation turned to how the Ox King and Gohan were best friends together when they trained under Master Roshi but Kaede kept blinking, unable to focus on any it, still thinking of all that was going on.

_How can Goku be so friendly with someone who tried to kill him moments ago?_ she thought. _It's so strange... and yet_,_ is it possible the Ox King isn't really evil after all? But he tried to kill us both! How can someone who tried to kill us not be evil?_

"All right, that's enough talk about the good old days," the Ox King's voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts. "There's something important I want to ask you, Goku, which could determine whether or not I get back into my castle."

"Go ahead, I'm listening," Goku said.

"Old Master Roshi possesses a very powerful fan made from a palm leaf called the Bansho Fan. It is the only magical artifact that is strong enough to extinguish the flames on Fire Mountain," the Ox King said, and then he put his palms together pleadingly. "Will you use the Flying Nimbus to go to him so that you can borrow the fan for me? Please?"

Seeing this huge, towering giant begging like a little kid was very confusing for Kaede.

_He seems so different now_, she thought. _Not at all cruel and ruthless, but kinda... nice. I-I just don't understand any of this!_

"_You know what to do_," the voice whispered. "_Give in to me_,_ and all of your problems will become clear._"

_No_,_ not if it means killing my friends!_ Kaede insisted. _Just go away!_

"Yeah, sure, but then, can you do something for me?" Goku asked the Ox King. "You see, we're looking for something."

"Yes, I think your little friend mentioned it," the Ox King said. "Very well. What is it you seek, Goku?"

Goku held up his Dragon Ball for the Ox King to see.

"We're collecting these, and I think you have one up in your castle!" he said.

The Ox King looked closer.

"Hey, I think I've seen another one just like it before!" the Ox King said. "Yes, of course you can have it, my new little friend!"

Goku flashed the peace sign.

"Aw, thanks!" he said.

"Attaboy, Goku!" Bulma said, racing out with arms raised in victory.

"The kids saved my bacon," Oolong said, greatly relieved.

In the rubble behind them, Yamcha was watching.

"I see," he said. "So that's what those Dragon Balls really look like."

"I was expecting them to be bigger," Puar said, disappointed.

"I'll be back just as soon as I can!" Goku said.

The Ox King held up his hand.

"Wait!" he said. "There's something you should know. Why, just yesterday I sent my only daughter Chi-Chi to retrieve the Bansho Fan for me, but now I'm worried because she hasn't come back. I worry something awful might have happened to her. Please, Goku... find my Chi-Chi and bring her back safely to me. I couldn't bear to lose her."

"Uh, Chi-Chi?" Goku inquired, confused.

"Yes!" the Ox King replied. "She's a bit of a coward, but..."

Then he clapped his hands together as he got an idea.

"Ah, say, Goku, how would you like to marry her?" he asked.

"Uh, marry?" Goku repeated, confused.

"Marry?" Kaede added, feeling her eyes narrow and a tenseness overcome her. Her body had gone absolutely, totally rigid, and she felt something akin to ice growing in her chest until it spread all over her.

_He wants to offer his daughter to MY Goku?_ she thought, her eyes glazing over. _No_,_ I won't let that happen!_

Unaware to the conflict brewing inside Kaede, the Ox King pulled out an old photograph, revealing a pretty young girl.

"Here's a picture of Chi-Chi!" he told them.

"I'll do my best to find her," Goku promised the Ox King. "You can count on that."

"Wow, all things considered, she's quite a looker!" Oolong said.

Behind them in the rubble, Yamcha's eyes bulged out in horror and surprise, recognizing the picture as the girl he'd knocked out.

"This isn't good!" Puar said. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Yamcha?

"Yeah, I'm dead meat if that girl's not okay!" Yamcha said, terrified.

Back with our heroes, the Nimbus lowered itself and Kaede leaped onto it.

"Don't you worry, Mr. Ox King, we'll bring her back," Goku said, and they took off.

"Good luck, son!" the Ox King called.

"And be careful, guys!" Bulma said.

Meanwhile, Yamcha was breaking the sound barrier as he sped hurriedly back towards where Chi-Chi was.

"Puar, the next time I try to smack the daughter of some huge giant, please stop me!" he said.

Then they caught sight of her, still lying unconscious on the ground.

"Hey look, there she is!" Yamcha said.

"Uh-oh," Puar said worriedly. "She hasn't moved a muscle."

He stopped the car and flew to her side at lightning speed, cradling her in his arms.

"Hey kid, wake up!" Yamcha pleaded. "You can't be dead, please!"

And then he noticed the rise and fall of her chest. He sighed in relief.

"She's breathing, Puar," he said. "We're going to be all right."

Then the girl's eyes fluttered open and she looked at Yamcha. Terrified, she jumped away, placing her hands on the circle on her helmet that emitted the energy beam which killed the dinosaur.

Yamcha held out his hands pleadingly. "Don't shoot, Chi-Chi, I'm a friend!" he begged.

The girl gasped.

"How do you know my name is Chi-Chi?" she asked.

Yamcha smoothed out his bangs and put on his best suave expression.

"Well, let's just say I'm a secret admirer of yours," he said slyly. "I didn't want to hurt you earlier, but you left me no choice."

Chi-Chi was watching him with rapt attention. Yamcha took on a pose that conveyed longing and admiration.

"If you really wanna know the truth, my darling, I'm in love with you, ever since I first set eyes on you," Yamcha declared. "Truly."

Puar just stood there, sweatdropping. As Yamcha's enthusiasm began deflating, Chi-Chi grabbed her cheeks, blushing furiously.

"Wow!" she said. "You're in love with me? With me?"

"Of course," Yamcha said flatly. "I really am."

Perhaps sensing his feelings, Chi-Chi asked, "Are you telling the truth?"

Yamcha turned around.

"Just look into my face. Can't you see it for yourself?" With that, he offered a very fake smile, showing off his broken tooth. "See?"

"Oh my, you look funny," Chi-Chi. "Is that, uh, tooth gonna grow back in?"

Yamcha turned back, growling in anger, obviously feeling insulted. Puar came up and grabbed his arm.

"Remember the Ox King, Yamcha!" Puar pleaded. "We don't want to blow this little charade!"

Chi-Chi grabbed her cheeks again. "You know, you're the first boy who said he loves me."

Just then, Yamcha caught sight of a yellow cloud off in the distance.

"Aw, why does that not surprise me?" Yamcha said.

"Oh, boy," Chi-Chi said. "I wonder if Papa will approve of him. I wonder if I'm even old enough to have a boyfriend."

Yamcha jumped into his car. "Let's get out of here!"

"Right!" Puar agreed.

"Oh my, this is all happening so fast!" Chi-Chi said. "I just don't know what to think!"

And Chi-Chi began crying until she heard the roar of an engine, and saw Yamcha tearing out of there.

"What the... hey, I wonder where he's going," Chi-Chi said. "I thought he loved me."

The yellow cloud flew closer and closer until it stopped overhead.

"I know, he must be the shy type," Chi-Chi realized. "How romantic!"

Goku soared down on the Flying Nimbus and came to a stop in front of Chi-Chi. Both Goku and Kaede hopped off.

"Uh, hey, is your name Chi-Chi?" Goku asked her.

"Yes, I am, but I don't think I know who you are," Chi-Chi told him.

_So that's Chi-Chi_, Kaede thought, her eyes glazing over. _She's the one who's a threat to my Goku._

"You're the second boy today who knows my name is Chi-Chi," the young girl said.

Then she screamed.

"You must love me too!" Chi-Chi announced.

Kaede stepped forward with a cold glare.

"I don't know who you think you are, but back off from Goku," Kaede informed her icily. "He's mine."

"_Yes_,_ feel the urge to lash out_,_ to strike out at her and kill her_," the voice hissed. "_It makes you strong._"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know," Chi-Chi said.

Goku looked back and forth between Chi-Chi and Kaede, confused.

"Um, hey, what are you doing?" Goku inquired. "Why are you getting so upset, Kaede?"

Kaede blinked, realizing where she was, and she blushed deeply.

"Oh God, I'm sorry," she muttered, humiliated. "I didn't mean to snap. I... I'm just afraid of losing you, Goku."

"But... but how can you lose me when I'm right here in front of you?" Goku asked innocently.

"Just never mind..." Kaede murmured.

"Oh, okay," Goku said, shrugging.

"But if you don't love me, then why are you here?" Chi-Chi asked.

"Your father was the one who sent us out here!" Goku piped up. "He wanted us to look for you, and then to go to Master Roshi's so that we can ask him if we can borrow the Bansho Fan, to put Fire Mountain!"

"Really?" Chi-Chi said. "That's so kind of you."

Goku jumped back onto the cloud, and seeing his lead, Kaede followed him.

"Well, hop onto the Flying Nimbus," Goku instructed Chi-Chi. "We should really get going."

"You mean I can actually ride on this thing without falling?" she said.

"Well, sure, but you must be pure of heart," Goku added.

"Oh, don't worry about that," Chi-Chi said. "When you're the Ox King's daughter, you always behave well."

And she began climbing her way up onto the cloud, obviously having problems doing so.

"Do you need help?" Kaede asked.

"Nope," Chi-Chi said, and she grabbed Goku's tail.

Goku instantly froze up, his eyes bulging wide.

Once she was on the cloud, Chi-Chi. "Okay, I'm ready to go."

But Kaede could see the trouble Goku was having.

"Goku, are you all right?" Kaede said. "Speak to me! Goku!"

But Goku wasn't listening, and he fell right off the cloud.

"Oh hey, what happened to you?" Chi-Chi asked.

"Goku, please, tell me what's going on!" Kaede asked. "Are you hurt? Is something wrong?"

"Yeah, I'm fine now," Goku said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Just please don't grab my tail. I lose all my power whenever someone does that. I don't know why, I just know that it's the one that I absolutely can't stand. Grandpa always said that I should try to train it away, but I don't know how."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know!" Chi-Chi apologized.

Meanwhile, in the bushes, Yamcha and Puar were watching.

"Well, it seems like our amazing little friend has a weak point after all," Yamcha observed eagerly.

With Chi-Chi on the Nimbus, Goku and Kaede flew off into the skies. Once they were gone, Yamcha went to his car to relax.

"Well, what are you thinking, Yamcha?" Puar asked the bandit. "Should we follow them?"

"Don't worry about that, Puar," Yamcha said, completely at ease. "They're going to have to come back to get the sixth Dragon Ball from the castle, and we'll be waiting right here for those three fools. After they find the seventh ball for us, that's when we'll make our move. I'll grab that little monkey tail of his, with my Wolf Fang Fist! With Goku as a hostage, the girl won't dare attack us!"

And Yamcha began laughing.

Back on Fire Mountain, the Ox King was speaking to Bulma and Oolong.

"Do you think Goku and his little friend can find my Chi-Chi?" he asked them.

"They'd better if they know what's good for them," Bulma grumped.

Meanwhile, Goku, Kaede Chi-Chi were heading out across the ocean.

"Do you think we can really find Master Roshi, Goku?" Chi-Chi said.

"Sure!" Goku said. "We just gotta stay positive and keep trying! We'll find him eventually."

Goku was a bit farther to the front, so he didn't hear Chi-Chi as she put her hands on her cheeks and murmured:

"Wow, that Goku's so adorable. I'd sure love a husband like him."

Feeling an icy stone in the pit of her stomach, Kaede reached out with her vectors and shoved Chi-Chi over the side of the cloud.

"Ahhhhhhh!" Chi-Chi screamed.

A second later, however, Kaede felt herself falling through the cloud and into the freezing waters below.

"Ahhhhh!" she cried.

Goku swung back, confused as to why both girls who'd been with him a second before were now floundering in the sea.

"Uh, hey, what are you doing down there?" he asked them.

"I don't know," Chi-Chi complained. "I was flying along and something just pushed me off the cloud."

Kaede, meanwhile, was focusing on her own predicament.

_Why did I fall off the cloud just now?_ she wondered. _Only the pure of heart can ride the Nimbus. Did that mean... did I-I-I stop being a good person when I pushed Chi-Chi off? But I was just trying to protect my Goku! How is that so wrong?_

Goku helped Chi-Chi up onto the cloud, which only increased her jealousy. When Goku tried to lift her up onto the Nimbus, Kaede just fell through to the waters below, which now completely soaked her.

"Hey, what gives?" Goku said. "I thought you could ride on the Flying Nimbus easily, Kaede! What's happening?"

"I-I don't know why," Kaede stammered, feeling very conflicted.

_I'm lying to Goku_,_ I _do_ know why_, Kaede thought. _But if I tell the truth I won't be able to ride the Nimbus anymore! What do I do?_

"_Just kill him_,_ and kill that whore who wants to steal him from you_," the voice urged. "_You know he will never love you. How can he? You're different from him. He would much prefer someone who is like he is._"

_Just stop talking to me!_ Kaede snarled in her mind.

"_It's inevitable_,_ my child_," the voice whispered as it grew softer and softer. "_Inevitable..._"

And it finally disappeared.

"Well, shoot, this isn't going to work," Goku said. "Kaede, climb up and maybe you can latch onto me until we figure out what's wrong."

"Latch onto you...?" Kaede repeated. "You mean... hug you?"

"Well, sure!" Goku said happily. "I don't have a problem with you hugging me! You're my friend, Kaede!"

"Oh, Goku..." Kaede whispered, eyes shimmering with tears.

As Goku and Chi-Chi helped her up, Kaede instantly threw her arms around Goku's front and held him close to her.

_I like hugging you_,_ Goku_, she thought. _I... I won't let Chi-Chi steal you from me. I promise._

"Well, on we go!" Goku declared, and the Nimbus sped on across the ocean.

Thanks to the assistance of a very clever dolphin, they were now heading in the right direction. As they kept moving further and further over the choppy water, they finally caught sight of a pink home with the words "Kame House" stamped over it.

"Is that it?" Kaede asked.

"Yes, I think it is!" Goku said happily. "We did it, guys! We found Master Roshi!"

_Now that our three travelers have found Master Roshi's house_,_ will they be able to convince him to lend them the Bansho Fan so that they can put out the flames on Fire Mountain? And what about Kaede and her increasingly violent visions? What does this all mean? Will she ever learn to accept Chi-Chi_,_ or will her jealousy be her undoing? Find out next time on Dragon Ball: A New Beginning!_

* * *

Yeah, finally updated _Altered Fates_, and now I figured I should update _A New Beginning_. I had an idea. The first people to make milestone reviews, 100, 200, and so on, will be given a special gift. What is this gift? You'll have to review to find out!

Now, here are some power levels.

Goku: 78

Yamcha: 67

Kaede: 10*

The Ox King: 100

* Kaede's vectors are stronger than she is.

Thanks to GeminiZKnight and LSSJ2 Gohan for their idea about Kaede falling off the Nimbus.

Please review!


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